Escape: To salvation
by reddogf.13
Summary: Blake wakes up in the hell town known as Templegate. confused and alone he must fight through both his past and present for his future. however, hallucinations of festering demons haunt him along with something else more of mortal blood. now he must fight to keep his nightmares and reality separate or succumb to the deadly wilds. however is he truly as alone as he feels?
1. Dust settles

Blake fell to his knees and watched as the sun grew to burn the earth. The blazing sun blinding him till his eyes blinked. Opening again to the sound of Jessica's voice back in the school. He wasn't sure what was happening now, getting a sense as if he was floating. Following a path to Jessica's voice without an idea of what he felt inside. Depression, anger, Sadness? No, it was just hollow emptiness inside.

"The feeling of being dead." the thought passed through his mind. Not even feeling any uplifting happiness seeing Jessica alive and well. He got down and prayed with her. Feeling cold and unhappy at the prayer she recited. Then everything went into the darkness. He floated without any thoughts for what seemed like an eternity.

"am I dead? … Did the world die? … What happened to the baby?" Blake thought, the questions passing through at what felt like a snail's pace. The last question kept repeating over and over. Blake was growing desperate to know the child's outcome.

"... did someone find her? … IS she the Antichrist? Is she okay? Is she alive?" Blake questions floated in the darkness. growing from moving at a snail's pace to zooming past. The darkness grew to be suffocating with an unexplained pressure building into a unbearable headache. Just as the pressure felt like his skull was going to split open, it popped. The pressure suddenly uplifted after one large burst of a painful heat, however the suffocation did not.

Blake opened his eyes to take a desperate gasp of air. Blinking for a moment, unmoving, as he gathered the world around him. No more darkness, he was back under the bright burning normal looking sun. the world partially scorched, but only by what seemed like a now long burnt out forest fire. Back in the hell town known as Templegate.

After gathering his surroundings he remembered his questions. Looking down to his arms to find them both bloody and empty. Fear rose along with panic at the baby missing. He quickly looked around for the baby girl.  
"maybe she just rolled from my hands. Maybe someone found her and took her away. Maybe an animal grabbed her from me for a meal." Blakes mind raced, the baby's fate getting darker with each thought. He froze when he spotted a trail of fresh boot prints nearby. The tracks walking up to him and stopping before stepping off to the side to walk behind him.

Blake stared at the prints for a moment. Taking a breath of air before slowly and carefully standing. His legs popping and hurting as they moved. Something seemed off based from his last memory. The dirt he partially fell to deeply indented where his legs were. All the blood going across him turned brown from dryness. Some spots cracking off as Blake moved.

"damn, how long was I stuck in that position?" he thought with a wince. Taking note that the sun was now fully above in its afternoon slot when the last point he remembered was it just rising. As soon as he was ready to move he went forward. His body feeling horribly sore and exhausted. Feeling that if he sat down or stopped, he wouldn't be able to go forward again. His stomach painfully hollow with his mouth being as dry as the desert.  
He focused only on the fresh prints. Ignoring the vast decaying corpses he past. The smell, despite being difficult in the hot sunlight, he also ignored. Seeing that maggots had already infested the bodies. Clearing off huge chunks of meat from the bones. He only took his focus off once the prints lead into a building. Painfully stopping to look up to examine the building. It was a place made with wood with white painted shingles going down the walls. A cross standing at the pointed front of the roof.

Blake sighed, trying to regain some strength to get him moving inside. Getting up onto the small front step seeming the hardest thing in the world at the moment. Then he had to do the second hardest with opening the door. Pain shooting through his holed hand as he turned the knob. He took another deep breath as the door creaked open. Carefully stepping over the small door frame sticking up from the floor to enter.

He walked in with barely a thought to his own safety. He was in barely walk-able shape, forget about being able to fight. Even so, he would save his little girl and at least make sure she was taken someplace safe before collapsing. Hed fight if he had to, but who knows if it'd get him anywhere.

He stopped to catch his breath, recovering as well from the massive pain in his body. Looking over the darkness to try and figure out where to go next. The boot prints quickly disappearing past the doorway. leaving Blake to track whoever without any hints to where they went.

"you live?" a voice spoke from the darkness. Sounding honestly surprised at Blakes appearance.  
Blake would have jumped from the sudden voice if his body hadn't locked up in pain. He stood silent for a minute to process the voice. Slowly searching the darkness over for the figure. He recognized it, but in the state he was in his brain processed the information slowly. Then he remembered who the speaker was.

"val." Blake growled in his mind. He swallowed to get ready as if he was going to yell in pure rage, but only ended up letting out a quiet voice. hoarse from lack of water for who knows how long.

"you took her … where is she?" Blake demanded to know, while trying to keep his body from collapsing.  
"the girl? She's long since passed in that chapel." val answered, sounding calm but tired.

"no, the baby!" Blake snapped, he didn't want to deal with val. He didn't want to play a game of ring around the Rosie with questions.

"there was no baby." val stated, sounding unfazed by Blakes tone. Blake remained silent for a second, confused.  
"Of course there was a baby. How could val say there wasn't? She- he- whatever was the one obsessed about bringing it into the world. Why suddenly reject its existence?!" Blakes mind went through the questions. Slowly processing through them.

"where'd you take her?!" Blake questioned, growing angry. Val sighed and finally moved to look toward him from a seated spot. Blake noticing her movement in the dark and facing her with an expression of hatred mixed with pain.

"there was no baby. Knoth convinced both of us though, didn't he?" val stated, anger pouring into her own words now.

"yes there was! Why else- why else go through all that?! You knew, it was obvious! You can't say she wasn't!" Blake snapped. Yelling in frustration only to stop so he could swallow a small amount of spit for his dry throat. Referring to how lynn was both obviously and heavily pregnant.

"i saw her birth it. I held her in my hands as lynn died on that torture table! Now where is she dammit!" Blake began to roar. Tears welling up in his eyes as he spoke.

"there was no baby! it was like every other pregnancy, nothing! There. Was. Nothing!" val roared back, seeming just as angry with heavy disappointment underneath.

"... what? … I held her! She was there, crying. ... Knoth saw her too!" Blake argued again. Only now he was beginning to question himself. He was remembering all he went through now, including the Jessica hallucinations that seemed so real. Then there was also that moment with what lynn had said  
"there's nothing there" lynns words echoed repeatedly in his head.

"but, Knoth saw." he spoke again, his heart slowly crumbling away. He saw val shake their head afterwards.  
"Knoth sees what he wants. She wasn't the first to bare the "Antichrist" or the first we managed to take from Knoth either. No child had been born at full term in years. It was either a early miscarriage or a false pregnancy. Killing the "birthing mothers" as the blood left them. Either way Knoth claimed he saw the devil child. Killing it after performing some false words before thrusting the blade." val explained as Blake stood there quietly, mainly in an attempt to regain his voice.

"so … why was mine so different?" he asked.

"strange circumstance, same reason why we desperately kept her for the birth. Usually Knoth claimed someone he bedded with lust was carrying the evil. We would grab them in some cases with the event ending all the same. You and the girl however, fell from the sky into a fiery blaze upon landing. Everyone saw the whole thing. Knoth unfortunately made it there first, but that was a small misstep." val explained, taking in a disappointed breath.

"he always came first." the figure shrouded in darkness joked with a snicker. A remark Blake recognized as on the sexual side. Being not much in the mood for Vals forward humor on the subject, he gave a unamused look.  
" … we thought it'd be different. That it was real this time. everything showed the signs it was and then … here we are. My loves had their throats slit or were crushed by the crumbling tunnels. I barely got out through the collapsed rock. i expected the world to shift, the earth to crack … but I only had the darkness take me over. I felt satisfied, my purpose complete, I welcomed the pain in the dark, then it ended. I was forced awake back into the world I felt I was past. I found the girl, recognized her body's state being like all the others, but at least it ended Knoth. He had finally lost and died like a coward. I wished it had been me to feel his warm blood pool onto my body." Val spoke, her voice growing in disappointment. Looking toward the ground with a pause.

"Quite a time has past here before I woke. The rot has set in to be two days old on the dead. You were in that dark place a day longer than me, how was it?" val finished off with a question. Blake stood there, glaring in deep hatred. His mind going back and forth on whether val was telling the truth.

After a moment's thought he accepted Val was telling the truth. She never really lied, val never cared about that like Knoth did, but that also came with accepting the baby's nonexistence. It hurt Blake deeply, he pushed so hard to save lynn and failed. At the time he hoped to at least save his little girl, but she never existed either.  
He sighed in exhaustion, looking toward the dirty wood floor. Wondering what to do next. His only thought being he wanted to sit and maybe sleep for 10 years. He looked up to stare at val. Watching to see what she- he? Was possibly going to do. Val didn't seem to really move besides in taking a breath. Blake closed his eyes for a moment before gaining enough strength to move again. Walking back out the building onto the flat wood step.  
At this point Blake didn't care. He was too exhausted and practically went through everything already. Val didn't seem to react, staying in her seated spot. Not even bothering to look at him. Blake was thankful that val looked to be dressed again. He really didn't want to see that naked mud image right now. As he tried to move off the step his body collapsed onto the wood. Any attempt at getting up proving fruitless for his weakened body.

"val said she blacked out for two days based on how far the rot has been on the corpses. I was out for an extra day, so I was in some comatose state for three days?!" Blake thought, now realizing how desperately bad his bodies state was.

"... if I don't get up now, ... i'll die, ... but would it be so bad?" he wondered as he closed his eyes for just a second.

when he opened his eyes the sun was down, Blake had only fallen asleep this time. The next time however, it would definitely be his last if he didn't find food or water.

He looked around and didn't see Vals presence anywhere from his view into the darkened doorway of the building. He sat up with a few pops to his neck and back from the strange sleeping position. His body feeling a bit more energized, but the pain remaining.

Blake sat there for a while to debate on what he should do next. No lynn, no baby, now what? His only thought was to save himself, but there was no way he would get far in his current condition. He needed to find more bandages, hopefully some alcohol in the damned town, and some food and water while searching.  
"i swear if val plans to jump me." he growled to himself. Wondering where val went and what they could possibly be doing with nobody around anymore.

He painfully stood to walk off the wood step. Squinting up at the bright moonlight. Gagging a bit at the rotten body smell mixing with a new one. Burnt flesh, it seems val had been busy doing some clean up.  
"fucking great." Blake grumbled toward the smoldering body pile. He continued on slowly, looking about the town. It was the first time he was able to actually able to look at things. As far as he knew he no longer had to fear towns people with machetes or Marta coming at him. At the notice of a dark shape of a tree he stopped. discovering Knoths hanging body, or what's left of him.

Hanging from a tall almost black tree knoths organs were ripped out to be strung around the branches. All sorts of objects from glass, knifes, table legs to branches, iron bars, and barbed wire stabbed or strung all through him like thread through a cloth. His face carved up almost beyond all recognition while also being burned just as much as the others. If Blakes mouth wasn't so dry he'd probably spit at the hanging corpse.

"good riddance." Blake thought before slowly moving again.  
"fuck, where the hell can I find water. No way i am drinking from the well here." Blake thought as he carefully walked into one of the shack houses. He was fully prepared to just accept death by dehydration over who knows what in the water. Taking note of more dead bodies as he started rummaging through the cabinets for food, water, or anything useful.

"more bandages, that's one thing." Blake mumbled to himself as he stuffed a couple rolls into his bag. The rest of the house proved fruitless, along with the next three before he found a non rotten apple in the forth. He really wanted just pure water in a bottle, but he couldn't be choosy. Taking a bite of the apple then just sucking on it to try and get a nice mouthful of juice.

"these people don't have anything. Where's all the food? In the fields? Fuck, mite just have to drink from the well. Eat some of the dead fish rotting in the lake." he thought in disgust as he moved to another shack.  
"still nothing." he sighed, slamming a fridge full of old rotten vegetables. Already he was beginning to feel exhausted again. Getting frustrated as he knew he'd only been awake for maybe 15 minutes. He preferred to find more food and water first before slipping into a sleep coma. He sighed in agitation before deciding to find a room he could close off.

When he did find one in the upper stairs of a building. He blocked the door off before sitting down on the bed. Letting out a groan of pain at everything hurting. Blake sat there for a moment till he gained a little more energy. Looking to his badly injured and bloody hands.

"maybe i'll get a miracle and the tap will work." he thought, painfully getting up to go to a nearby bathroom. He held his breath as he turned the brass nozzle. Letting out a breath of relief at the clean looking water. He worked as fast as he could, to scrub his hands clean. Then quickly trying to clean every other part of him. He could have tried the shower, but he really didn't want to strip here and get into a vulnerable spot.

Almost all of the blood, mud, and dirt was cleaned away. Blake getting a much clearer look at the holes in his hand. Hissing a bit as they were painfully sore and still bleeding quite a bit. He tried to dry them with a small piece off the new bandage. Hoping they would clot slightly as to not bleed so much. They seemed to slowly stop bleeding as a new scab formed at the wound.

After re-wrapping them in new bandage he stared at the flow of sink water. Smacking his dry mouth. He really didn't want to drink any water in this town, but he had to drink something. So he quickly gulped down a mouthful. Giving up his resistance soon after to guzzle down mouthful after mouthful of water from the tap. His body feeling major relief at the introduction of hydration.

He gasped for air after filling his stomach to the brim with just water, shutting off the tap afterwards. He headed back to the bed to fully lay down this time. Looking toward a nearby widow with moon light pouring through the dust covered glass. For a moment the thought of maybe someone else besides val stalking the town entered his mind. Should he find somewhere more hidden to sleep? At this point though, Blake didn't care. He was far too injured and tired. He didn't want to run again, and couldn't even if he tried. while at this point death would be a welcoming away from all the pain. He closed his eyes and in seconds was fast asleep.

Blake woke up to the morning sun blazing into his eyes. Squinting before carefully sitting up with a stiff groan. He rubbed his face as he put his feet onto the hardwood floor.

"find food, bottled water, and alcohol possibly." he thought. Deep in his mind he knew the alcohol would most likely be nonexistent in this town. Alcohol wasn't looked too kindly on in religion.

"maybe I could find a bottle of wine in the chapel." Blake thought. His heart seized at remembering lynn was dead inside that building. He'd have to face her body again once he entered. He swallowed hard wondering if hed have the strength to even face her.

He got up to slowly work his way back to the chapel. Upon seeing her body from the doorway he froze. Staring as he held back the tears welling up in his eyes. He quickly swallowed them down into the painful pit in his stomach. Carefully walking down the mostly clear isle up to her.

He swallowed down at the painful disgusting sight of maggots swarming over her. He looked away to take a few deep breaths. Desperate to hold himself together. Looking back when he felt he was ready. He needed to cover her body before he could move it.

"wrap her up in something." he thought, looking around the chapel. Deciding on a nice piece of curtain hanging over a window. He returned to lynn with the large bundled up curtain in his hands. Carefully covering her before slowly wrapping the thing around till she was fully bundled up in the fabric.

"at least val didn't desecrate you. … I hope." he spoke to himself. A thought of him not being entirely sure as she was stuck with val for an entire night, although he rather not think of that.

"i need to bury her, but do I want to bury her in this hell town?" he thought. In the end having no choice. He knew he couldn't carry her far, but he could at least take her to the forest edge. Past all the rotten bodies and crumbling buildings.

"Someplace under a nice tree." he thought, leaving her body for the moment. He wanted to dig a deep grave first before carrying her body out. He searched around a bit managing to find a nice shovel. Going slightly past the town to now find a tree. Coming across a large green pine that just managed to survive the fire. Half of its green top being singed from the flames that were now long dead.

Blake returned to the chapel with his eyes welling up the entire way. By the time he reached her body the tears were overflowing.

"i'm sorry, i am so so sorry, I should have been faster. I could have made it. You could have lived, but I couldn't help you." he cried, trying to wipe all the tears away only for the streams to be quickly replaced. He took a long deep breath to calm himself. Hugging her wrapped body for a moment before picking her up into his arms. His whole body locked up in agony from the extra weight. He stood frozen in place with her weight in his arms and took in another deep breath. Slowly working his way toward the grave, taking deep breaths the whole way in an attempt to keep his strength up.

Once at the grave he carefully got to his knees before slipping one leg after the other into the grave. Gently setting her down and fixing up her wrappings. Tears started to heavily flow again requiring him to sit next her in the grave to regain himself. He took a few deep breaths, wiped away the tears. Giving lynn's forehead a final goodbye kiss with his hand then climbed out of the grave. Standing tall next to the grave lynn was now resting in, he looked to the sky to gather some words.

"a good friend, a loving wife, never forgotten. Rest in peace … wherever you are." Blake spoke clearly as if speaking to a actual crowd at a funeral. He folded his hands over each other and lowered his head for a moment of silence.

"amen." Blake said in a way to end the funeral, although the word seemed sour to him. After all this his faith was even more crippled than before. All sorts of questions on why this happened passing through his mind. He wasn't going to debate it though. He was tired of religion and if who ever existed he no longer cared. Blake was going to leave it all at that. He just wanted to move on.

Blake grabbed the near by shovel and began to slowly fill in the grave. Trying his hardest not to fall apart as lynn was covered. His body was exhausted by the time he was done. The afternoon sun now shining over head. The town actually looked remotely nice in the bright sun. not every pile of dirt or tree looking like some horrified monster ready to grab hold. Much easier to see the annoying small cacti Blake remembered from all the past needles stuck in his leg.

He grabbed a nearby small wooden cross he made out of two thick branches and a tied cloth. Setting it at the head of the grave almost against the trunk of the large pine. He smoothed out the grave and circled its edging with all the nice stones and flowers he could find. Finally adding the last touch of a handful of both pink and white flowers he plucked off a cacti.

"you didn't deserve this." Blake spoke to the grave. Shutting his eyes tight as he took a deep breath. Opening them again once he felt like he wouldn't cry again. He looked down at the grave before turning away to search the town again for supplies.

The rest of the day was unfruitful for anything. All the food old and maggot infested with no water insight.  
"i guess if worse comes to worse, at least I got a maggot farm." Blake thought. His face crinkling in disgust at the thought of eating a wriggling maggot. He sat down at the stairs of a building he just left. Looking out toward Lynn's marked grave and noticing something. Val was standing near it. Blake filled with hatred glared hard enough to try burning a hole in the back of her head.

"if Val dares desecrate Lynn's grave they're going to pay." Blake growled in his mind. Holding his glare on the unmoving figure that stared down toward the grave. He finally relaxed when Val began moving away from lynn's resting place, but not entirely. His paranoia of maybe something small was done while he wasn't looking bringing him to look over the grave. Blake stood by with an agitated expression as he examined all over the grave for any difference. Even checking the dirt for anything drawn into it. Nothing was different on the grave or anything done to the tree either.

He sighed in relief as he was not in the mood to clean up some carving or blood painted symbols. Or whatever Val may have been wanting to do. Then he turned his attention toward the fresh tracks in anger. He hated them being near and quickly scuffed fresh soil over all the nearby tracks to rid the area of there existence.

After clearing a 15 foot area surrounding the grave he went to tiredly sit by the grave. He leaned his head back to rest it against the tree. Finding himself immediately falling asleep again. When he woke only a few hours later he saw more of Vals tracks leading near the grave and away. Blake growled out of anger at seeing the tracks. Getting up to again carefully examine the grave for desecration in any way. Again, thankfully, finding nothing.  
Again, like before, he swept away the invading tracks in a 15 foot area around the grave. Growing quickly exhausted, thirsty, and his stomach painfully growling. He'd only eaten a apple and hot pocket within the last 4 days. The hot pocket he grabbed before the regretful helicopter trip here. He walked away from the grave to only make it 10 feet. Looking back in paranoia at leaving the grave unguarded.

He swallowed in nervousness until his painful stomach growling made him wince. He was mentally kicking himself as he left the unguarded grave, but he desperately needed food. Blake went even deeper into the town to search new areas for supplies. Finding a few more bandages and even a few useless battery's. After Knoth died and before his black out he remembered losing grip on his camera along the way. And at this point he didn't care to search for it either. It was probably laying in a pool of bloody mud and or sewage at this point. Maybe even Val took it and burned it in the body pile, who knows.

As he walked across the open dirt patch between houses he noticed more of Vals boot prints crisscrossing over the dirt. Glaring down at them, knowing Val had already raided the houses here.  
"probably snatched up any supplies. Fuck, now what then?" Blake thought, looking up to the bright sky momentarily in exhaustion. Now his options being between maggot farming, or picking a floating fish from the diseased lake full of mercury.

"yay to eventually looking like the mad hatter." Blake spoke with a huff.

"maybe there's a farm around here. There has to be, no way they could feed so many from a bag of groceries fetched from a real outside town. I ran through that corn field at one point. didn't look like there was any corn though from what I remember." he noted in his mind.

"which way to go?" he thought, looking at the varying paths leading in all directions. From all his running around he had no idea where anything was. Running through the whole night also muddling his whole sense of direction. He got an idea to look at where the sun was. It was past noon so wherever the sun was heading down to it lead toward the west. It didn't help him much in deciding a path, but he could just barely remember where the sun was before the helicopter ride and the direction they flew in.

from there he tried hard to remember every direction he walked in since the crash. Unfortunately his memory were more like blinks. He could only get points A and B of certain places. The whole between just seemed like a black warped puddle with the flash of something fuzzy forming now and again.

He found his memory no use. instead deciding to approach the best guess option. Looking at the tree lines for a thin or cleared area. Farming wasn't exactly a small patch to clear of trees. Soon spotting a massive open area between the tree line and heading straight for it. A 10 minute walk leading him up face to face with possibly the same corn field he zigzagged through.

Blake examined the stalks as he walked between the rows. Seeing no evidence of any corn. Assuming that maybe the town had harvested and eaten it all already. He noticed a bright color orange from between the long rows as he got deeper into them. Heading toward it expecting it to be leftover corn, but instead.  
" … pumpkins... ?" Blake stated out loud in the middle of a pumpkin patch. Looking like none of them were harvested yet.

"had to be pumpkins. Couldn't have been something easy like fucking potatoes, but no. I don't even know how to really peel a orange I always needed lynn to do it for me. How the fuck do I eat a pumpkin?!" Blake spoke to himself. Knowing he was definitely not a cook of out of the way veggies. Usually working with simple potatoes or the most complicated being peas in a pod.

"i've heard of diced pumpkin, so do I peel it then chop it? I know I can bake the seeds, but can I also cook the guts and eat it?" Blake spoke to himself.

"if there was ever a time to figure out my own pumpkin pie recipe, it'd be now." Blake joked. He always joked as some kind of protection mechanism. It helped uplift his spirits when down, even just a little helped him keep going.

Blake picked up a nice sized pumpkin about the size of his head. Taking it back to lynns grave and setting it down momentarily. He was happy to see no new tracks from Val around the area. Now his new goal was to find supplies for a fire and some sort of cooking pan.

"hopefully Val wont snatch it and get her own from the pumpkin patch." Blake thought while searching the nearby shacks. Finding a pan and a small box of matches pretty quickly. Getting a lucky find of a small clean white pouch that could hold pumpkin seeds well. Returning to his pumpkin to create a small fire pit ringed with rocks. He piled a bunch of twigs and handfuls of dry leaves into the small pit. Lighting a match to place on the dry pile. Now he had to figure out what to do with the pumpkin. His best bet was roasting seeds and collect a whole bags worth of them. They would last as long as they did not get wet.

Blake grabbed a nearby broken shard of metal off a gate. He looked it over to see if there was any strange substance on it and found nothing. Leaning it against the wall to force it into a curved hook before he brought it to the fire. Letting it sit over the flames to clean anything he couldn't see sitting on the surface. then began his task of carefully carving a hole at the top of the pumpkin as if starting a jack o lantern. Picking out all the seeds he could to throw into the empty pan.

He roasted a good cup full of seeds till they turned a golden brown. Eating a few to test them determining them worthy of being stored in the pouch. Leaving still a lot of empty space for at least 6 more cup fulls of seeds inside the bag. After the pan was cleared Blake took his chances with trying to prepare the pumpkin guts. Cutting out the annoying pile and slopping it all into the pan with a sizzle as the wet goop hit the hot metal.

He sat there watching the goop pile slowly cook. Turning and mixing it with the metal piece, but finding it hard to determine if it was done or not. Half was still raw goop and the other half was now suddenly burnt. Before the last bit of it was burnt he took it off the fire to cool. Throwing more branches into the fire to keep it going. He decided he would stay by lynns grave to keep watch with the fire keeping him warm in the night.

He mixed the oddly looking pile, at this point just playing with his food. Afraid to take the first bite. He swirled it onto the metal piece like stringing noodles. Taking his first bite and scrunching up at the burnt taste covered in half slimy texture. As the first shock of flavor past he started unhappily chewing. Deciding it was better then nothing while saving the seeds for emergency case. By the end of it he was getting a bit sick from the disgusting flavor. Thankful that it was all done and gone at least till his next pumpkin. The rest of the pumpkin he would scrape out the sides and try to cook tomorrow.

He sat by the grave to lean against the tree. Sitting there and watching the sun pass into night. Making sure to keep the fire going as much as he could to keep the area lit. who knows what Val was doing out in the darkness. Honestly he really didn't want to know after all he had seen Val do. As long as they stayed far away from him that's all Blake cared for.

"if i keep going at this pace, MAYBE, I'll have enough strength to walk back in a day or two." he thought, the back of his mind arguing the time frame to be more like a week.

"no way i am staying that long. I'll take my chances hitch hiking in the forest. Once I get home ill recover lynns body and give a proper funeral in a nice cemetery. Have this place burned to the ground with flame throwers. Probably the only way to cleanse this area of all the pollution of disease. Especially that "quarantine" area." he grumbled in thought.

"wonder if any of the ill survived up in the mountains? Probably not with how bad that storm was. Landslide, fallen trees, and rocks would have buried them." Blake thought. He threw a bunch more wood onto the fire, curling up against the tree to slowly drift to sleep.

The next morning he woke to a familiar sight of Vals boot prints walking nearby before going off.  
"ugh." he thought with a glare. Getting up to check the grave again. Seeing nothing still and again scuffing the prints away. The feeling of paranoia coming up as he realized how close Val was getting to him in his sleep. Maybe he should go indoors from now on. That meant leaving lynn's grave unguarded however.

"i have to let go. Cant keep guarding the dead forever." he thought. Lynn was dead now, nothing could bring her back. So why was he so diligently guarding her grave? Wanting to feel like he accomplished protecting in some way? He wasn't able to protect Jessica, wasn't able to keep lynn safe. He failed and now the last thing he wanted to do was fail a third time. Last thing he wanted to see was lynn unburied to be put up for some satanic display by Val.

Blake looked toward the sun to get the jest of what time of day it was. The sun was up a bit past sunrise but not close to afternoon yet. He yawned and stretched his cramped body. He was feeling a little better. Still sore in the legs with pain in his injured hands, but feeling much more well rested.

Blake then recalled why he went into the chapel in the first place. He wanted to find some wine or alcohol of sorts for his hands. Maybe for everything else if he found enough. Even after the small sink bath his skin still felt stained with who knows what. Inside the chapel he looked around the front podium for some sort of small storage of wine. Finding nothing his attention turned toward a shut door to the side. Trying to open the door gave no effect.

"locked? In a town that leaves everything open?" Blake wondered. Grabbing a nearby metal bar to thrust it into the door wedge. Leaning back to provide force into the door. The door creaking as it bent in a way it wasn't supposed to before shooting open as the door broke away from the locked knob.

"geeze, some fucking lock." Blake thought, examining the knob still attached to the lock in the door frame.  
"why so protective of this room?" he wondered, knowing that the common lock around here was a slider over the doorway.

"ah, now I know why." he said. Looking at the vast fancy decorating. Nice rugs, fancy bedding, large nice wood crosses, bottles of pills everywhere, a desk covered in radio equipment and wires heading out a window near the roof. Boxes of jewelry, empty wallets, a stack of bibles.

"knoths room." Blake answered to himself. Avoiding in touching anything. Only doing so to grab a pill bottle that looked untouched so far.

"penicillin … I mite need these." Blake recalled with his time in the quarantine area.

"Better safe than sorry." he said before grabbing a couple of the untouched bottles and immediately swallowing two of the pills. Thankfully the labels said they were not expired yet. Hopefully he didn't manage to catch 10 different diseases.

He looked about the room, examining the radio at first to see if he could get an outside signal for a call to help. No success as only one channel seemed active which Blake could hear the microphones outside slightly buzzing or pooling static from a broken wire setup. He quickly switched it off with an aggravated huff.

His attention was then turned toward the boxes of valuables. Empty wallets cleared of cards or anything cash worthy. The jewelry being items containing large diamonds, probably solid gold or silver chains. Even expensive name brand watches among the pile.

"Knoth needed money somehow for his drug dealers. Cash out peoples cards, use cash, trade in at pawn. Not like his people would care there cards were maxed out while living away from society with debt collectors." Blake said to himself.

He continued looking about the room. Again being careful with what exactly he was touching or rubbing his hands against.

"score!" Blake spoke excitedly as he found a couple bottles of unopened water by the bed. Removing batteries to shove them into the bag around his waist, just barely managing to fit them. He moved onto searching the drawers managing to find more useful items.

"jack Daniels, that will definitely work." he said, undoing the bloody bandages and quickly soaking them in a large splash of the alcohol. Hissing as they both burned as if on fire. As the pain came it was quickly washed over with relief at fully having the wounds cleaned out now. Getting another bandage out to soak it slightly in a few drops before wrapping his hands with it. As Blake finished tying off the bandage he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning quickly enough to just catch a glimpse of Val disappearing from view. He stood there frozen to watch the doorway to the empty room. Waiting to see if Val would show herself again. she definitely didn't want to be seen by him as she watched what he was doing.

"maybe val was attracted by the radio coming on, afraid Knoth may have risen from the grave. I would have checked too if I suddenly heard them switching on." he thought. He wasn't so afraid of Val out in the day in town. It was at night when he couldn't see three feet in front of him or when he was forced into a small dark space with her when he was afraid. Val wasn't so intimidating when she was pretty much the only one left. No one to back her in a fight or jump in if she had trouble. Easier advantage in a cramped tunnel over open town space. Blake was sure that Val knew that too.

"i wonder if that's why she does nightly visits? Testing how close she can get to jump me in my sleep?" he thought as he returned to searching the room. He started looking underneath the furniture. Finding mainly dust bunnies or cobwebs. Something caught his eye under the bed however. A small perfect hole the size of a quarter. He reached over and pulled up by using the hole.

After using a bit of force he assumed maybe it was nothing. But the hole seemed so out of place for him. He grabbed the hole and wiggled it a bit. The board sliding in one direction before popping up. It surprised Blake as he fully moved the board out of the way. Seeing a small hidden space containing a small black book with a bunch of pens and nothing else. He took out the small book, crawling out from under the bed, to look inside.  
"looks like knoths diary." Blake sighed as he saw all those stupid gospels he wrote. A bunch of references to the actual bible. Some of his daily writings repeating the general message of "the end is near!" on every ending page. He flipped toward the front of the book finding something new. something with the government raid on the last place Knoth and his disciples lived.

"  
DEC, 10th 1969  
me and what's left of my flock are moving to new lands, someplace safe from peering eyes of the enemy who wishes to stop me. The government has already taken so much, how much more do they want? Now they mite be taking my followers faith in me. I've been getting many questions I do not like being asked. Questions of why I didn't foresee the raid, why god let over half of us be dragged away. Why my promises of protection and peacefulness were broken.

I've been managing to keep them at bay through words of "its what god chooses". Usually i am spoken to by the lord so that I know the correct answer to such questions. It seems god wants me to do this on my own. It must be a test to make sure I can keep my flock faithful. Even with Marta by my side I can only make them fear me for so long. Marta can handle a few men revolting, but a whole mob? I doubt that despite Martas words of reassurance she'll take care of them. I don't want my whole flock to abandon my words and leave me with only a minor few. Or have Marta hang them when we should really be sticking together in these trying times to the new lands.

While Marta is my right hand, I am missing a left. Sure there is always laird who follows me without question, but he isn't so well on the eyes and can be too aggressive on those questioning me. I need someone with a more delicate touch of speaking. Someone intimidating, but soft enough to be approached, and above all highly devoted to me. I have a feeling laird won't be around us for much longer either. He's been doing his best to hide the symptoms of sickness, but I see it. After we are settled in the new lands and I no longer need his help in overlooking the work I will send him away."

Blake flipped through the next few pages, finding nothing else besides same old same old. Templegate founding celebration, town built, blah blah. For a moment Blake debated on burning the diary so some poor soul wouldn't get sucked into the lies and spread the evil of knoths gospel. It may have more interesting information though as it was so carefully hidden. Knoth wasn't exactly known for hiding his teachings so this book might be holding delicate information Knoth never wanted to see the light of day. looked to have pages written for each day going back over 42 years. Would be nice to know where all this madness grew from for curiosity's sake.

He shoved the book into his jacket pocket, aiming to read more later in the night. He determined he had gathered everything useful from the room. Heading out back to lynns grave. Blake stopped in his tracks at seeing multiple boot prints swarming all around the grave. All of them left by one person. Now Val was doing this on purpose. He let out a yelling growl in anger toward the sky since Val wasn't present for him to yell at.

"i am going to snap your ankles when I get the chance!" he shouted generally into the air. Not entirely meaning it as he knew he wasn't in good condition to fight. He once again checked over the grave, finding again to be untouched although the footprints did get incredibly close to the graves edge. The prints also having a pattern of purpose. Leaving prints around the grave in a pacing motion before making rings spreading out from the grave and then turning random. However all the prints were kept within the exact 15 foot radius Blake never wanted them to be in.

he grumbled to himself about being sick of this as he scuffed all the prints away. Getting the help from a twiggy branch he used as a makeshift broom on the dirt. When he was done he tossed the branch off to the side, spotting Vals tracks heading off in a quick manner. He growled at being left exhausted from cleaning up prints again. This needed to stop, NOW, before Val took it any further. He was tired of being tired at fixing up the mess everyday.  
He followed after the tracks with the idea of where they lead coming into question. Would they lead to another mine? Another town building? Was Val purposely leading him somewhere? Did she even expect him to follow this time?

He came to a small cliff edge clearing able to spot Val immediately. He stopped as he saw her peering out from behind a tree, but not toward him. she was looking intently at something down the small cliff edge. He glared at the back of there head. Confused but not really caring about whatever crazy thing they were doing currently.  
"hey!" Blake snapped at Val. she turned to look at him as if knowing he was there the entire time. Shushing him with a calm expression.

"they're searching." Val spoke in an ominous manner before turning back to whatever they were looking at. Blake stared confused at her before walking forward a bit. Making sure not to get too close to Val. He looked across the lower forest area till he saw the movement of a group wearing black uniforms.

"police officers?! there searching for me and lynn. our hotel probably called police since we never officially checked out." Blake stated.

"that's not what there here for." Val stated.

"what else would they be here for!?" Blake argued.

"strangers don't just find Templegate. They've been here before and have come to fulfill a personal goal. Just like everyone else who has gathered to Templegate." Val answered. Blake huffed at that answer.

"well i am going to meet them and getting out of this dump." Blake stated before turning back to find a way down.

"the outsiders are not friendly." Val warned, turning to look toward Blake.

"what would you know?! You think everybody's the enemy!" he snapped angrily.

"I know Templegate better than you do. Their outsiders that shouldn't be here." Val warned, When finished she turned away to head back toward the town.

"whatever. … lunatic." Blake said with the last part only being in thought.

As Val left his sight he made his way down. Walking through the forest brush toward the group. As he drew closer he felt the need to be silent. Something felt wrong deep inside.

"pfft, Vals lunatic talk is getting to me. Its nothing. There looking for me and lynn, Vals probably afraid of being arrested. doesn't want me to rat on her to police. No where for Val to escape now. Why else would they possibly be here?!" Blake tried to reassure in his mind.

He was coming up upon the uniformed men. Getting ready to call out when he noticed the men weren't just in regular uniform. It was bulky, like a swat team uniform. Having patches on their shoulders of a strange logo with the word Murkoff underneath. Blake swallowed as he examined the group more closely. Alongside the swat uniforms they were carrying heavy military fire power in their hands. This was no longer seeming like just a search party. He moved up just enough so he could stand behind a nearby tree. Listening carefully as the group talked amongst themselves. Still unaware of Blakes existence.


	2. Vile

"so how'd the whole town die? Did the storm cause it?" one of the uniformed men asked.

"no, religious nuts committed suicide it seems. Helicam got close snapshot of jugs with cyanide labels." another wearing a mask answered in a slightly radio sounding voice.

"so what are we supposed to do?" the first asked again.

"at this point the experiment is marked a failure by Murkoff. So we're basically clean up crew. We go in, snuff out any possible survivors who didn't drink the kool aid. Then Murkoff swoops in with the flamethrowers to make the place open for the next group of religious nuts coming in." a third spoke.

"how will they get more people here?" the second questioned.

"easy, just let "god" speak to some wacko, convince them there on a holy quest to here. Not like those people question when they hear a sudden booming voice from the sky telling them what to do. Just gotta find the right priest. Already did it once after all." the third answered with a laugh at the end.

"they figure out what caused that overload signal that freak out the system? Was pretty big considering it left us entirely blind on town activity along with a factory lock down till just yesterday." the second asked.

"storm knocked the control switch out. Control couldn't turn down the signal or switch it off. thankfully the radio tower fried itself after the signal got too strong for it to handle. If it didn't we would still be on lock down. The whole thing has to be reset. Even the control panels were fried from that backward signal." the third answered. All of them pausing as they answered a radio call.

"alright, boss gave us the go ahead. Lethal force, save no one, take no souvenirs." the third spoke.

"aww, love to take souvenirs." the second spoke in disappointment as they began moving.

"not from this place unless you want some kind of disease. They have a whole sectioned fenced off for people riddled with diseased. Be thankful we get to leave that place up for the torch guys." the third spoke.

"fuck, I cant let them know I've survived." Blake thought in panic. Quickly going off into the forest. Sneaking around the armed men to make it back to town.

"I'm sorry lynn. I gotta leave, but I'll be back for you. I promise." Blake quickly spoke to the grave as he quickly buried his unfinished pumpkin, destroyed his little fire pit, packed away his metal shard knife, and tossed away the shovel. Grabbing the twiggy branch he used to sweep over all the fresh tracks he could. Tossing the branch away as he ran deeper into the town.

He needed a place to hide and fast, but everywhere he looked seemed to be filled with holes. He couldn't use his regular tall grass or barrel trick in the daylight. He would stick out like a sore thumb. He ran in and out of buildings looking for some small crevice he could squeeze into for a hideaway. Freezing at a second floor window when he didn't just see 3 guys, but 20 or more slowly flowing into the town. Looking over body's. Bashing down doors to any locked buildings.

Blake was full on panicking at this moment. Deciding to ditch the town and try his chances in the surrounding forest. He ran from the building while constantly looking over his shoulder for fear of being shot. Running off down into the thin valley ways. Terrified of each corner he rounded before discovering the lake again.  
"fuck." Blake panted, really not wanting to be here. His legs were locking up in pain again. Developing a painful charlie horse in both. He leaned against a tree with a wince as he groaned in pain. Spotting a old rotten boat nearby that he could possibly hide under.

He swallowed before limping over. Lifting up the rotten boat to slip underneath. Realizing too late there was a deep ditch hidden underneath. Falling back into it as he hadn't been expecting no ground where he stepped. Landing roughly into it on his back as the boat fell to cover the hole. Blake groaned in pain as he looked around the dark space. looking toward a tunnel on his left leading to a lit area. He carefully got up to crawl through the small tunnel.

The tunnel opening up to a small chamber able to have 10 people sit in a very close circle together. The middle having a small pit with a burning fire. A small pile of wood off to the side near by. The walls looking either scraped by shovels or scooped simply by hand. The roof seeming to creep down with the many bunches of black vines creeping through the roof.

Val was sitting quietly on the opposite end of the fire lit room. Knees close to chest with an arm hanging across one knee and the other she had her elbow resting on the other knee. Resting her head against her hand as she looked toward Blake as he entered.

"come to keep me company?" Val asked in a somewhat teasing manner. Blakes expression immediately turned sour. About ready to head back out of the now uninviting space.

"come on now, no need to be unfriendly. We can keep each other company till they pass over." Val spoke calmly. Her friendliness being a bit unnerving to Blake, but Val was right. He wasn't in any condition to run either. He stayed crouched in the tunnel entrance for easy defense if needed.

"why don't you come sit by me?" Val asked with a small smile. Even that small gesture made Blake shudder back with a face of revulsion.

" **_no._** " he firmly stated.

"it can get pretty lonely." Val stated, carefully examining over him. Having Blakes skin begin to crawl at the eyes examining over him.

"what is this?" Blake asked gesturing with his head up at the room. Wanting to quickly change the subject.  
"it was a place to get away." Val answered with a slight smile that quickly disappeared. Blake went quiet after that, looking away before getting concerned about the fire. He looked back toward Val again, feeling a little awkward being stuck with her down here.

"where does the smoke go?" he asked. As logic would currently say is that the smoke could collect at the roof of the room before pooling out the ditch entrance. In which case a rotten boat suspiciously smoking wouldn't be a good hiding place.

"the vines." Vals hand pointed up toward them.

"they made small spaces in the soft soil between them while holding the soil in place. The smoke flows out around the different trees in the area who's vines cross paths. Seems like just a natural steam vent from an outside point." Val answered. Blake nodded as he now noticed the vines all had a small bit of tunnel space surrounding each one. His body tensed as he began hearing a humming noise.

"a boat?" Blake said aloud.

Val sat up in a more alert position. Blake moved as well away from the entrance tunnel. He didn't want his legs being accidentally spotted through a small hole in the rotten boat. The sound of boat motors growing louder before stopping as they reached the lake edge. The men jumping off the boat creating a big thud on the room roofing. Val putting a finger up to her lips to silently tell Blake to stay quiet as he nervously shifted. Both of them holding their breath as they heard footsteps that stopped above. Blake hoping in his mind that an armed man wouldn't just suddenly fall through the thin roofing. Nervousness growing as they watched the soil roof slowly sink down from the weight standing over.

Blakes paranoia was getting the better of him as he slowly got up from his seated spot. If the roof broke he had to be ready to fight. Val obviously being against that as she mouthed the words commanding Blake to sit down. He didn't listen, but dove immediately back down when a loud gunshot rang through the air. Val pinning her self to the wall as she ducked low. Startled just the same as Blake from the unexpected noise.

"what did you do that for?!" a man on the surface yelled from a far

"a dead fish bubbled up and I thought it was someone hiding in the water." another yelled back near by.

"you got scared by a dead fish?" one started with a few laughing.

"shut up! I wasn't scared I thought it was somebody!" the shooter yelled.

"just save your ammo for when you actually see something champ! We got a whole town to look over." the far off one yelled. Many starting to laugh again as they moved forward.

Once they seemed to be gone Blake let out the air he had been holding in, being quickly shushed by Val.

"someone might still be by the boats." Val mouthed to him. Blake giving a small nod from his laying position in the sand.

"we should get some sleep while it's still quiet. They have a lot of town filth to dig through before they'll leave. Come rest by me." Val whispered and gestured for him to come over. Blake nervously shaking his head as the offer.

"no, id rather stand guard." he spoke for an excuse, as well as being a little truthful.

"very well, but you should rest." Val said to him before laying down with her back toward Blake and the fire.  
"well, glad she's comfortable." Blake grumbled in his thoughts. No way he could sleep here after all that or while Val was that close. He laid there watching the crackling fire before getting board after 10 minutes with nothing else to do. He looked over to Val in an attempt to see if she was fully asleep. Unable to tell, he just quietly turned over to face away from her. Taking out Knoths journal out of her possible view. He wasn't sure how Val would react to it. Most likely shed want it burned and the ashes to be danced upon.

He flipped through, skimming over parts for an hour till he found the place he was at. Flipping through a bunch more pages for many more hours that had nothing interesting. Stopping when he did find something different.  
"1985 on the last day of harvest in the month of September- . This is 14 years later from the last note. How'd this place last that long?" Blake read, quickly calculating the information written

* * *

one of the females of my flock that I was quite fond of came to me with what I thought was a blessed bundle of joy. I was at first outraged when the mother gave life in secrecy and did not allow me to bless the child's arrival with my presence. My anger turning to confusion as the mother requested we speak in private over the matter of the child. I told her if the child was ill it was to be drowned in the lake or given to lairds possession with the others who are plagued. The young women assured me it was not that, but another issue. I assured back that whatever the issue was I could fix it.  
I had just gotten back from a meeting with the women. My assurance earlier of fixing the child's problem was mistaken. I made the assumption that the mother only felt guilt for not birthing the child in my presence and that it needed christening. Instead I was met with a disgusting site. The child being deformed with multiple parts of both that of a female and male."

* * *

Blake stopped his reading to look over at Val. Who still had her back faced toward him.  
"Vals birth?" Blake wondered, returning to his reading.

* * *

the mother confirmed soon after that the child was mine and asked me if I would help protect the "loving child". I couldn't stand being in such a presence of an abomination. I told her to stop spreading such untruthful lies as I knew the lord would not have given me such a deformed child. That it must belonged to another which I made sure she knew well was the story. Or else the deformity meant she was actually diseased and required her to be sent away. She quickly confessed of her sins blaming it on a confusion for which I happily forgave her as she now knew the proper story I liked to hear.

I knew I could not harm the innocent, thing, presented to me as so far it had committed no sin besides merely existing at the time. As I was also in no position to judge god's image of how the almighty created it. Such is why I kept the small laird when he arrived to me. I swallowed my disgust down before telling the women that it was a test from the lord. It was to be raised till they could talk then it would be a test upon the child. She was not to help feed, give treatment, or teach any skills with the child after that point. The child's survival would be left in the lord's hands and only he would decide if the child lived or perished.

We both knew the child would not make it, but I told her the lords works in mysterious ways. Which up lifted her spirit for a quick smile. After which she asked me if I would name it as a blessing. Souring the last of my mood for the night. I was sure to remind her that it was a woman's job to name the children. Me being a male asked to be demeaned to a woman's place was insulting.

However, after hearing her greatest apologies and begging I forgave her mistake. A perfect name came to my mind that only the lord could have bestowed onto me to give.

So I told her that the lord has requested me to just this once lower myself to give a blessed name from the heavens, made just for the little thing.

I informed her the child's name would from now on be _"vile"_.

The mother nervously swallowed and nodded to my recommendation. I gave a smile back before dismissing her to go home."

* * *

Blake was now glaring at the written page.  
"How could someone be so cruel to an innocent kid? Sure as hell explained a lot of where Vals warped mindset originated. that poor girl, pregnant by Knoth before she was blackmailed into submission by him. Forced into half abandoning her kid once at the age of 2." he thought while turning the page for the next written day.

* * *

that damned women rejected my blessed gift. Calling that horrid child by a different name, "Val". I confronted her and told all how she rejected a holy gift given by the lord and asked of me to deliver!

I wished to deliver a hefty punishment for such betrayal. However, after a talk with Marta in the early morning over how broken my flocks faith was. I feel the 20 stings of a whip in the courtyard I wanted on the women's back would put far too much fear into my followers. So I turned to the more godly way of forgiveness.

After a thorough scolding I told her that I was not punishing her because it was not my place. if the lord had not punished her yet then he must not be as insulted by having his gift rejected. I left it at that and despite not getting a direct punishment from me she still suffered. From what I was just told by Marta she was now being shunned by the others. At least I managed to keep some loyalty from the people."

* * *

just as he finished reading up the written page Val began to stir. Sitting up with a bit of a stretch. Blake watching while he quickly shoved the journal back into the coat pocket.

"wheres the sun?" she asked. Blake being confused for a moment thinking she didn't recognize they were underground for a moment. Realizing that she was actually asking for the time.

"umm, … setting? It looks." he answered, looking out the tunnel exit and seeing a dark orange glow.

She got up from her sleeping spot. Dusting off the sand before walking over to Blakes half of the room. His paranoia spiked as he bolted up to move away. Watching as Val ignored him to slip into the entrance tunnel. Getting a more panicked feeling at what she was about to do.

"what are you doing?!" Blake whispered to her. Watching Val carefully lift up the rotting boat.

"leaving." Val answered.

"well, I rather not have attention drawn around here, but i am certainly not going to stop her." he thought as he watched her leave. However, he didn't want her running around and being spotted. Having the possibility of the armed men staying longer to look for others.

Once Val was gone he finally felt comfortable enough in the underground space. Moving away from the entrance to throw more wood onto the fire. Laying down again to let his exhaustion slowly take over. It took a bit longer then usual due to his anxiety of being found. Eventually falling asleep after another hour had passed.

He slowly awoke to a dark room, the fire being dead besides a few embers dying off. He stretched as he slowly sat up. Looking around the dark room for any possibility of Val sitting nearby. After being sure he was alone he sat there to think for a moment. He couldn't live in this hole forever, waiting until the armed men leave would have him starve before then.

Blake knew he had to leave, reach back to civilization. Get actual medical aid over just a single type of pill. He got up from his spot to slowly head for the exit. Propping up the boat slowly and seeing a man sleeping in the near by boat. Blake quietly slipped out of the ditch while watching the sleeping man for possibility of him stirring awake.

Out free of the ditch he silently jogged to the forest line. Looking around in paranoia for any of the men searching on the lakes edge. Hidden inside the thick forest edge he tried to get some bearings on directions.  
"okay the helicopter flew from the east. The sun was setting to the... right of the lake?" Blake thought, looking back toward the lake as he tried his best to remember the suns position the other day.

"so if I head back to the town and head straight once I pass it. I'll make it back?" he thought, building some optimism. Blake slipped through the forest to avoid the town. From afar he could still see the men walking with searching flashlights. Hearing them shout over to each other while others created a racket from busting down doors. Some throwing furniture out of the houses and tossing bodies out of the way.

By the time Blake made it to the opposite side of the town he was sure that morning was right around the corner.  
"it'll take me a while to get away from here, but if I keep a good walking pace i can make it back to town by the next night." he thought happily as he began his long trek into the woods. He slowed for only a moment to look back at the town.

"i wish I could say goodbye more personally, but you know I can't. I'll get you back to civilization soon lynn." he whispered toward the town. Regaining his normal pace when he turned forward. He walked up to a small clearing finding a pathway heading up to the mountains. Looking up and down it Blake realized it was familiar.

"this heads to the helicopter crash. That means i am on the right path!" Blake thought, jogging up the path. Careful to make as little noise as possible. Walking again when he reached the two close rock edges narrowing the path. Careful of the slippery rocks he had to crawl over again. Being hit with the strong smell of rot.

"oh … yeah." Blake said, looking toward the hanging mutilated corpse of the pilot. Now thoroughly eaten away by maggots festering over him. Blake swallowed thickly as he looked away, quickly moving along. Shortly stopping again when he arrived to the cliff face.

He let out an agitated sigh as he remembered he has to climb down this thing before. That was easy, now for the hard part of climbing back up. He looked over the area, settling on a few large crevices criss crossing. Carefully climbing up the steep rock face up to a ledge almost 15 feet up. Looking again for the next crevice in the rock to climb. The task being harder then before without the moonlights help to light up the various edges.

The climb didn't take him as long as expected. Reaching the downed helicopter at the top of the cliff edge. Taking a moment to catch his breath. Sitting down next to the remaining wreckage. He gazed out over the land. Just able to see the lining of the trees as the sky got closer to dawn. In just an hour or two the sun would rise.

"would be nice to fucking see where i am going." he thought, pulling out his bag of pumpkin seeds. Slowly eating a handful of them while waiting for the sun. no way he was going to trek into unknown forest without at least a small bit of light.

The sky slowly turned from a deep dark blue to a dark red turning to orange. Blake finished off the seeds in his hand. Dusting his hands off while putting his food bag away. Walking by the wreckage he entered the forest once again. Walking along with only a sense of direction to help him know where to go. Just missing an annoying cactus he would have walked into without the small amount of light up.

After a bit of walking he came up upon another large cliff. Much larger then the one before the helicopter wreckage. He looked left and right to try and find a way around with no luck. He swallowed thickly in nervousness as he looked back up at the cliff wall.

"hope my rock climbing lessons help out here." Blake thought.

"would be best anyway. I really need to know where i am going and how far the city is. I should see at least the city glow from up there." he said while letting out a long drawn out breath. Preparing himself for the careful long clime. He slowly and carefully worked his way up.

Stopping to take deep breaths as to not feel so tired. Halfway up the intimidating wall he froze at the sound of a helicopter. Looking back toward the town to see a few of them hovering over with huge spotlights scouring the area. One getting incredibly close to him before spotting the helicopter wreckage. Hovering over it before flying off more toward the town.

Blake swallowed down his nervous stomach. Made worse when he made the mistake of looking down. He took another deep breath of fresh air to start working up again. At the top he didn't even bother to stand, simply hoisting himself up and laying flat against the cool earth.

He looked up and expected a view of a city, or at least some city lights since it was still early morning. Instead he just saw endless forest and mountains going off to the horizon. He jumped up to his feet in fear. Looking all along the open horizon for something, anything. A road, lights, a building, but no it was just forest. Followed by mountains and more mountains.

It was then that reality set in. him and lynn didn't exactly walk here. They flew and went over mountains, valleys, rivers and canyons. It took them the entire day of flying to reach this place and they left EARLY! He quickly realized that it wasn't gonna be a day's journey to the city. This was going to be closer to over a weeks worth.

"fuck, this isn't even flat land either. How many more cliffs are there gonna be to climb?! I'll need much more food and water. I am not anywhere near as prepared as I thought I was!" Blake started to frustratingly speak to himself. Finally letting out a shout that echoed through the abnormally silent forest.  
Kicking himself after for being so loud. He rubbed his face in aggravation. Looking back out toward the town with the rising sun coming up. His only plan right now was to make the entire trek back. Gather more pumpkins and save up on a massive pouch of seeds. As for water well … he can hope for rain.  
Blake looked over, spotting a pile of rocks that might provide a small covering from the helicopters. Getting more annoyed at the recognizable tired feeling that never seemed to stay gone for long. Sitting against a large leaning rock.

"nothing else to do but read or sleep." Blake mumbled to himself. Pulling out knoths journal again.

* * *

"1989, September 28th  
the child has unfortunately been lasting longer then I had hope. The thing having recently turned 4 years old today. It definitely seems the mother still does what I suggested. Many of the towns people still shunning her and happy to give reports on the two. The mother not helping to feed it or teach it anything useful. The child hasn't gotten sick yet despite my prayers.

I was happily informed just now by Marta that the child has been labeled by others as being a miscreation, not of god. I cannot support my flock in confirming this as i am not one to judge. However, I'll allow them to call the child freely what they wish.

One thing however has caught my attention. The child despite me marking them as a vile thing with its mother being shunned as well. Many of my followers are drawn to the child. Finding it incredibly easy to speak between them, which Marta has told me. Asking me if she should reaffirm my notion that the child wasn't to be supported in anyway.

I told in confidence with Marta that it wouldn't be necessary. In fact that maybe this was a blessing of god underneath the disgusting flesh. I know I need a new speaker for my word to the people. I prayed many years ago for a follower that could bring people in with a gentle tone, but strike when needed. The child showing just that with its kind words, but holding nothing back when crushing the skulls of fish it kills in the shallows.  
Maybe in time we'll see if the child can be useful to me in the gospels future.

* * *

Blake flipped through the journal again. Passing over all the same boring entry's till he found something revolving around Val again.

* * *

"1991, June 27th  
I had just learned that the miscreations mother had left to join the scalled a few months ago. Which I didn't really care for until Marta told me the mother may have failed me in the months before her leaving. Teaching the child things such as farming, herbal identifying, and animal care. Those teachings were common knowledge to be passed down to the young, but in this case it was not allowed.

Not much I could do about this matter now besides sending laird a letter about the betrayal. I pray she's still living enough to be punished for her misdeeds. I asked Marta to send it my condolences, but she informed me that the child is currently gone.

I asked her to clarify. Marta explaining to me that after the child's mother left the towns people pushed the miscreation out for the house. Instead of wasting away out in the cold it left for a time into the forest. Returning months later looking healthier then ever. Coming back only for some copies of my gospel and to trade for other materials. Returning back to the forest to possibly forage the berry's in season.

I must admit that despite my ignoring of the child and support in shunning of it. The child has shown a strong loyalty to me.

I asked Marta to keep a look out for the child and invite them to meet with me. I want to see what its doing out in the forest. Eventually it would have to return before winter and beg for scraps. This area does actually manage to get a fair bit of snow it's so far raised on the mountains. Foraging and berry picking will be useless then.

* * *

Blake began flipping through the journal for more. Momentarily stopping as the searching helicopters flew over in one group. Leaving the area eerily silent besides the strong wind flowing by the rock blocking it from Blake. He continued flipping through the pages till it reached another year mark.

* * *

"1992, February 7th  
the child had finally returned today. Impressively living out in the forest through the winter months. It had returned to trade for supplies again which I've been finding people are trying to hide. Which is understandable as I told them not to give the miscreation gifts. I told my flock that I knew they were hiding it, as I see all. I announced after that trading with it was alright. As long as the trade was equal or of more worth on my flocks part.

I got my chance to meet with the child. Finding them to be well and happy. The child happily greeting me and proudly speaking of there growth in the wild. Surviving off berry's to roots and rabbits through the winter. Telling that they even managed to take down a few deer. I wouldn't have believed a 7 year old child had killed off a deer if it weren't for the multiple prepared hides they brought for trading. Along with various knives they made of the antlers.

I asked the child how they came to learn how to hunt and scavenge out in the wilds so quickly. My suspicions that the mother taught these things being confirmed by the child's sudden silence and refusal to meet my gaze. I got the child speaking to me again by giving my condolences of their mother being sent off to the I'll Saying id be happy to make them a personal copy of my gospel for them to bring out into the forest after such a tragedy.  
The child happily bouncing about at being so blessed by me. I told the child I would also prefer to them staying within Templegate. The child refused however. Saying they were fine in the forest. I didn't entirely mind as this kept it from being a useless burden for us.

I wanted to know what else the child's mother told them. Asking what else it had learned. The child going on and on after that. About hunting and tracking to the basic knowledge of how to farm. Most children did not learn these skills till they were of working age at 12. i am thankful the lord gave me strength to hide my bitter meant toward this new info.

I soon found that many of my follows were asking the child how to hunt the wild creatures and where best to harvest berry's. Deer meat was definitely loved among my flock, but the most difficult to obtain from the maze like mountain rock range or through the dense forest areas. We all mainly relied on our live stock or caught fish from the lake for meats.

I wasn't exactly happy seeing so many flock around the child for answers over me. I did obtain an idea from it though. Maybe the child would work under me with the position of deacon. However there was the issue of its deformity. The child still seeming confused over what it was. That not sitting well with me as a creation of god should know what it is.

Either male or female, but a female meant they could not be a deacon as that was only a mans job. But am I not the voice of god? Am I not the one who speaks the truth of the lord? If I speak that Val is male, then it shall be truth. No one of my flock would go against my word without being a sinner. Anyone who sins against the word of the lord shall face punishment by my right hand Marta.

* * *

"... is this why Val was referred as a male everywhere in town? Because Knoth just said that's what they were and his word is law? Would make sense, definitely sounds like him too. Not that anyone could argue otherwise." Blake thought, putting the journal away. Glimpsing at the now sunny morning sky.  
"val sounded like quite the survivalist. Only 6 when they left for the forest. Lasting almost half a year out in the wild. … i am not a camper, but if I convince Val. … maybe?" Blake thought. With Vals forest survival skills and sounding like she had mass knowledge of the area maybe they could leave together.

He didn't know what Vals plan was. Maybe rebuild the cult in her image? Just survive in the rotten town? Since everyone died it didn't seem like she had anything left there.

He looked to the cliff edge feeling more exhausted then ever. He just really wasn't ready yet to climb back down. That only left sleep and he felt it would be safer to return when dark. Who knows were Val was after they separated. All he could hope for was that she stayed in the town.

"should I deal with Val? If I do get her to come I'll have to look over my shoulder the entire journey. What about sleep? I can barely stay awake now what if Val decides she wants something while i am sleeping?" Blake thought as he remembered back to the whole event in the mines. Getting horribly sick before he pushed away the traumatic memory.

The thought of being around Val 24/7 for possibly a week not helping the illness go away. He pointed his face toward the sky to take deep breaths. Swallowing down the vomit threatening to rise up. He breathed out a few more times before feeling his stomach settle. Until his thoughts wandered back to being around Val.

He had to face this fact. He knew in his mind he couldn't make it back to town alone. Everything looked so different below the trees. Getting lost out here would lead to death. Getting injured alone would be an even worse fate. Or trapped at the bottom of a ditch. Then again, would Val be helpful in that situation?

"She's like a rabid wolf willing to turn on you as soon as you were down. I bust a leg and she'll rip it off for food. What did all the heretics eat anyway? They just grabbed the few who mistakenly wandered too far from knoths flock? Did they actually hunt wildlife? There were a lot of dead fish in the lake, may have not needed to hunt." Blake's thoughts wondered.

the story is fully complete, however ill be slowly uploading it with 1 chap every day to keep suspense. till all chaps are finally released. =]


	3. Truce

Blake opened his eyes again after hopelessly trying to sleep. Going back and meeting Val again making his anxiety too high for sleep. Stretching as he looked up at the sky. His neck and back popping after laying on such a uncomfortable rocky surface.

Being so far out in the wilderness left the sky filled with the milky way. Although beautiful it was a bitter reminder how far away he was from civilization. Temporarily removing his glasses to wipe the fog away his body heat created in the cold.

"fuck. … where to start?" Blake thought, returning his glasses to their place. Should he immediately find Val? Or go collecting pumpkin seeds for travel? He'd have to stuff his entire bag for the both of them. The thought of sharing food and eating around her made him again feel ill, but he had to face it. Can't just expect Val to travel who knows how long with him and not give her at least some food.

"mite as well get more pumpkin seeds first. Hopefully i'll find her on the way. If I never find her ill at least have food for me ready." he mumbled to himself. Blake carefully made his way to the cliff edge. Regretting that he didn't go earlier as there was no moonlight to light the cliff edges this time. He'd have to carefully climb down totally blind.

He took a few deep breaths as he carefully turned to start heading down. Taking one step down at a time. The feeling of his heart jumping into his throat with every little slip. Having no idea how close he was to the ground.  
"what a way to go after everything." Blake joked a little to himself. Thinking of falling to his death being his end over all the other things he suffered through. Finally letting out a sigh of relief as his foot hit the ground while searching for another edge.

"never climbing cliffs again." he joked again while jogging back toward the town. As he got closer he slowed into a quiet crouch. The moon had rose enough to give a small light now. Giving Blake the vision to see armed men with flashlights still wandering around. Talking and laughing amongst themselves. Some even seeming to be taking lunch breaks near the mountains of bodies.

"who are these sick bastards?" Blake thought as he watched them with disgust.

"val knew something was wrong with them, but that could have just been a lucky guess from the psycho." he thought as he carefully moved forward. Doing his best to navigate around the town by certain buildings.  
He managed to find a field and was quite uplifted by the achievement. Until he realized it wasn't the pumpkin patch, but a orchid for apples.

"well, apples can be a lot better." he thought with a watering mouth. Thinking about fresh apples filled with juice. Cautiously walking up to the trees, to avoid being possibly sighted, he stood fully once next to one of them. Flinching back a bit at the horrible smell of rotten apples. Up close he could now see all the fruit being rotten. The horrifying smell of decay had him step away from the tree with an agitated sigh. He'd never smelled anything so bad in his life. There was something more rotten here then just the apples.

"even if they were fresh you couldn't eat them." that familiar voice spoke, startling Blake practically out of his skin. He turned to face Val with a huff of air he didn't mean to let out. He wanted to keep composed when facing her, not seem like a scared child.

"the trees were grown too close to the poisoned river. Any one who eats from the trees dies by the next morning." Val spoke in her oddly friendly manor.

"what are you doing here then?" Blake asked, making sure to keep distance between them.

"watching." Val answered looking toward the town. The sight of easily seen flashlights moving between the buildings.

"have you seen them before?" Blake asked curiously.

"once, when they started building far up the river." Val spoke before heading away. Blakes heart seizing up in his throat as his mind froze on what to say. He had to tell her his idea before she disappeared again to who know where.

"what do you plan to do?" Blake blurted out. The question being the first thing to pop up on what to say first.

"nothing yet. I just want to see what they plan to do. Although i am sure I already know the answer. Templegate won't be around much longer." Val spoke, pausing her walk.

"... I know a way to another town." Blake stated. The statement being a partial lie. He didn't know the way, only a direction and even that was iffy at best.

"Do you have an idea?" Val asked.

" we have to leave and we're the only ones left. I know the way, but i am not good with traversing the forests and mountains. I know you are. We can share food and help each other." he spoke, trying to get everything out.

"you want me to come along?" Val questioned, some honest curiosity coming forth. Getting a nod of confirmation from Blake.

"... which direction is your town?" Val asked a little slowly. Possibly considering the idea still while she did so.

"past the mountains." he said, pointing the way he came from.

"... I don't know the landscape far out that way. I do know this way and there is a town far out there." she explained, pointing in the total opposite direction.

Blakes heart sunk a bit at the news. Then grew fearful at going off in a direction known only to Val. Despite him not really knowing his own way, he felt safer heading the way he wanted. Who knows if Val was telling the truth. for all he knew she was leading him to a secret secondary group of heretics that survived.

"uh, I don't know that direction. If we head my way we can make it to a town in a few days." he lied, both to Val and himself.

"there is no town that close. I don't know that way well, but I have on rare occasions been out there. If your town is past the mountain, you'll have to cross the gorge there and I know we cannot cross it. We'd have to go around and I am not sure how far it spans." Val stated. Blake swallowed thickly as he thought for a moment.

"what if she's lying, what if there is no gorge and its just to make me follow her? But I really have no idea of the way out there. What if we take days to the gorge and then have to track back?" he thought with anxiety back and forth.

"... how far is the town that way?" Blake asked hesitantly.

"about a month." Val answered.

" a month?!" Blake said a little loudly in shock.

"depending on how much the recent storm has twisted the land. Could be more." Val added.

" … I need help gathering pumpkins. For food on the travel, they're safe to eat right?" Blake asked.

"yes, if you find the few that are not rotten inside." Val answered.

"follow me, we can go down a trail the strangers don't go by." Val said with a gesture for Blake to follow.

Blake hesitantly watched her walk off for a moment. Debating if he should follow and again on whether or not heading out with her was was a good idea. He really had no other plan while needing Val to navigate for him. He was stuck with her no matter what with no other option. He'd have to get used to following her at some point. Although being around her for possibly a month was a shock to him.

He could barely stand the idea of being around her for a week. What was he going to do?  
He swallowed thickly down his dry throat before walking at a fast pace to catch up. Following Val into a dark deep ditch filled with a small amount of mud with the surrounding dirt walls covered in dead branches or dry ferns.

As they walked the deep dark ditch slowly grew more shallow. Raising them back up to the more level dry ground by the fields. Getting out by the empty corn stalks to pass by for the pumpkin patch.

"okay, we need like a months worth of seeds to eat. So grab any big ones you can and we'll take them back to that boat hidden campfire." Blake explained awkwardly as he looked about the field.

"the big ones are all rotten." Val spoke before looking over toward the smaller ones.

"how do you know?" he asked, looking over them and seeing nothing wrong.

"the vines to them are all dead. Bugs must have ate the roots, that means they probably ate at the pumpkins as well." Val explained as she separated a small pumpkin from the green vines.

"hmm." Blake hummed in disbelief. The pumpkins looked perfectly fine from what he saw. He picked up one of the large pumpkins. Hearing a second later a slopping noise. He looked down to see the whole bottom of the pumpkin was rotten and falling out. Some kind of beetle flowing out of the bottom from the infested middle.  
"ech!" Blake said as he dropped the pumpkin to furiously wipe off the crawlers. The whole thing smashing easily into a mush pile with beetles spreading out from it.

"i told you." Val chuckled, having a small armful of pumpkins.

"yeah, how do you know these are not poisoned like the rotten apples?" Blake questioned angrily.

"the beatles, there still alive." Val answered calmly at Blakes aggression.

Blake grumbled to himself. He knew collecting seeds from little pumpkins would take forever to gather a months worth. He continued checking all the big ones. Managing to find a couple that the beatles had just started nibbling on. He dusted the nuisances off his two prizes. Ready to head for the campfire. Allowing Val to lead the way as he was too turned around while traveling the darkness.

Blake felt a little more at ease once they were back underground by the fire pit. He hated being so close to the strangers while out in the open. However there was still the fact of Val being overly close.

Val sat by the fire pit filled with ashes and started preparing another fire. Meanwhile Blake sat on the opposite side of the fire by the pumpkins. After Val got the fire going Blake began carving into the pumpkins with the metal shard he kept. With Val watching unnervingly close to what he was doing.

Her expression turned to confusion as she watched him gut out the pumpkin and carefully try to save the insides.  
"what?" he asked with a glare. No longer liking to be stared at.

"why are you preparing it like that?" she asked.

"so I can save the guts and the seeds." he stated with a bit of confusion toward her.

"why save the guts? Why don't you cut it in half? It's easier to peel that way." Val spoke with confusion about how Blake was tackling the pumpkin.

"i don't know how to cook pumpkin. Just the seeds and the guts." he said with a grumble as he continued.  
"for the most part." he thought to himself.

"... you don't know how to prepare a pumpkin?" Val asked, confused as how a grown man doesn't know how to prepare a basic vegetable.

"no. I never worked with pumpkins." he grumbled as he angrily carved into the next pumpkin. His body tensed up as Val sat by him to grab the open, gutted , pumpkin he put to the side.

"pumpkins are usually one of the first things were taught to prepare and grow. Same with making them dried for storage through the winter months." Val said as she sat nearby with the pumpkin in her lap. Taking out a long knife hidden from inside one of her long sleeves. The sight of the knife having Blake go a bit pale. Now he was intently watching Vals movements. Watching the knife carefully as she sliced through the pumpkin. When she started peeling the skin off Blake uncomfortably scooted as far as he could away. Trying to avoid her attention being brought on him.

Val paid no attention to him, only on the pumpkin she was peeling. Flicking out left over gut pieces into the fire. Filling the small space with a nice pumpkin scent. Blakes attention was split between his pumpkins and Val. Being paranoid about her having that knife. He would prefer she had no weapons at all. Then again she didn't really need weapons to be threatening.

"so how is it that the pumpkins were not poisoned?" he asked, trying to get his mind off the knife.

"different water supply. Apples got the river while pumpkins lived off the rain." Val said as she carved the peeled pumpkin into thin strips and setting them on a large stone she pushed close to the fire. Taking the next gutted pumpkin Blake pushed over to her. The smaller pumpkins were a lot easier to get through.

"looks like this might just be enough if we ration it right." Blake said as he shifted the huge pile of cooking seeds. Looking over at the multiple rocks covered with slices of pumpkin. They were quickly drying into nice dark orange sticks about the size of a long pea pod.

Once all the pumpkins were taken care of there was awkward silence filling the void. Besides Blake shifting the cooking seeds or Val turning the dried pumpkin pieces over.

"we should sleep now so we're prepared to walk tomorrow." Val said while moving to lay away from the fire.

"ill watch the food." Blake said as an excuse. He didn't want to sleep anywhere around Val with that knife.

"it will be fine. We should rest together, keep each other warm." Val spoke with a smile toward Blake.

"ill sleep later." Blake said while swallowing down his stomach to avoid being sick.  
"you have to sleep. We'll be doing a lot of walking." Val said.

"ill deal with it fine." Blake said a little agitated.

"very well." Val said as she dropped the subject. Turning over so her back was facing Blake and the fire.  
He let out a exhausted sigh as he shifted the cooking seeds again. He was exhausted, but his anxiety far too high to sleep, especially next to her. He waited and waited till he was sure she was asleep before pulling out knoths journal again. Quickly flipping through to where he was.

* * *

"1997, September 7th  
Val has definitely grown in grace despite the harsh start of his life. I have been watching him speak to the flock with such ease that even I have grown jealous of. But tonight that changes as I will soon own that power of voice. Years after drilling into the others that Val is male the time has come to promote him as deacon. Soon I'll have my own holy trinity to guide my loyal flock.

Tonight is the ceremony that I will happily lead. Now I just need Marta to make space for Val. Move some of the ill or remove a few I suspect as sinners. Usually the ceremony is a week after a young boys 12th birthday, but I wanted to move forward as soon as possible. Having the ceremony go forward on the day of Vals birth.

Who knew something I once saw as a curse would become a weapon of mine? God must have given me this gift after so many of my prayers I believed were unheard. I shall never doubt again what the lords path lay for me.  
I must also say that Vals looks have matured well as he's grown older. Maybe this is a second gift to me from the lord. Val will surely be one of my favorites to call for bed. After all I must share my special love with all of my flock and this must be a special christening."

* * *

Blake had his mouth covered in disgust. He barely saw Knoth, but he knew him well from all his gospel writings. This action was no different and shouldn't have surprised Blake so much that he was this vile even so many years ago.

"val was only 12. she probably suffered years of sexual abuse under Knoth. Believing it to be for her own good." he thought. Wishing a bit now that he wouldn't have let Knoth die from a slit throat. After everything he should have just strangled him to death. Even then that probably wouldn't be a punishment worthy of calling it justice.

"if the journal is right this would be incest too. No surprise as that mite be the reason of Vals deformity. The lack of fertility being a good thing in this case. Who knows how many spawn have been born and tortured in this hell." he thought as he closed the journal. Not having the stomach to read any more or really wanting to touch the thing.

He grabbed some more wood and tossed it into the fire. Shifting things with a long branch. Moving the now cooked seeds into the bag he had. The pumpkin slices needing still a good few hours to remove all the liquid in them.

He leaned back against the dirt wall. Looking over to Val to watch her breath. An idea to sneak the knife off her coming to mind. He slowly shifted over to look first. Seeing the tip of the knife just sticking out of her sleeve. He carefully moved his hand over to try and reach the blades tip.

Snapping his hand to his chest after Val shot up. A large boom having scared the both of them. Val quickly got to her feet and went out the tunnel to the boat entrance. Followed soon after by Blake who was nervous to see as well.

* * *

Meanwhile.  
The men stood from behind there shields. The detonated dynamite decimating a whole building to rubble.  
"that's one down. Set the second charge on building B and C!" one of the more armored guards called. Picking out the radio from his hip holster.

"demolitions going smooth on site A. still no townspeople seen. If their hiding in a building we'll get them. Although i am pretty sure the gun crew did a thorough sweep." the officer called in. a crackling noise being made from his jaw as he spoke.

"I'm sure they did, but I want to be confident 100% that there are no survivors." a women's voice spoke from the other end.

"i asked the 2nd clean up crew while they were leaving and they said the same thing-" the man started before being interrupted.

"2nd clean up crew? There was only one sent on site."

"well, we didn't see another team. But clean up said another team did some cleaning first. Big piles of bodies found burned." the man explained with a pop of his jaw snapping in place.

"no, it's impossible. there were no other clean up crews. Someone else is out there and you better find them. Or find out what idiots broke protocol or it will be your ass in the burning pile next." the women angrily snapped.

"yes mam." the officer ended. His jaw crackling again.

"hey, higher ups are looking for blood on who broke protocol! So I suggest one of you give me a name!" the armored man roared out to all the other officers. Holding his jaw to avoid it slipping too far out of place.  
Many of the men scrambled to get out of the man's sight to avoid blame. If that didn't work somebody was going to have their name thrown out as a scapegoat.

"fucking idiots." the man growled to himself. Slipping the radio back into his belt. He blew off a layer of dust that had settled on his dark uniform. Thick black pants containing many pockets with a leather heavy duty belt hanging over them. Tucked under the belt was a thick black fabric shirt hidden mostly by gloved arm braces and a bullet proof vest.

Adorning each shoulder were patches with a blue white logo of a strange M. along with one mostly scratched off on a black mask hiding the lower half of his face. Hiding away most of the damage done to his face besides the deep scaring going over his scalp that prevented hair from regrowing. A nasty reminder of what happens when you went off on your own in a Murkoff experiment containment. Some parts of scaring getting dangerously close to one of his bright emerald green eyes mixed with flecks of cold silver.

The man began to walk in search over the area. A hunting eye for anyone speaking in whispers or out of line in what Murkoff commands.

"Someone broke the Murkoff command, couldn't have been a survivor." he thought. Stopping mid step as he tripped over something. After catching himself from totally falling he looked back toward the ground in agitation. Curiosity taking over at the strange mud covered object.

"metal?" he thought at the sight of something shiny. Grabbing the object to shake the mud off for a better look. His eyes of curiosity turning into a dark glare at the realization he was holding a camera.

Seeing the sticker informing him it was water proof he tried turning the device on. The small screen lighting up with a half full battery.

"what idiots brought this here?" he thought, going to the start of the recording. Glaring as the recording played a women speaking of the Jane doe case.

"reporters." the man growled before slamming the camera down and stomping it thoroughly to bits.  
"we have a breach in the walls." the man spoke into his radio.

"They're panicking over something." Val said as the two watched from the rotten boat. Seeing the flash lights swarm out from the town area.

"about what, the explosion?" Blake asked.

"no, that was probably them. I think they may have found out about one of us. They're really searching now." Val answered. Some flashlights getting closer to their entrance.

"you look left and i'll look to the right!" one officer yelled to two others. The small search group splitting off into singles.

"get ready to leave." Val spoke as she took out her knife.

"what, no?! Put that away they'll just pass over!" Blake argued. Both going silent and ducking as the light waved over the rotten boat. Hovering back onto it with the steps growing closer. Val and Blake staying down with Blakes heart jumping into his throat as the boat was lifted by the officer.

Before the boat could be entirely raised. Val stabbed right through the man's foot yanking him off his feet to drag him down underneath. Blake panicked as he stumbled back away from the two fighting. Before the officer could fully register what was happening Val quickly sunk the knife into his throat. Quickly killing him without so much as a scream escaping the dying man.

"fuck, you killed him!" Blake exclaimed in shock.

"it was him or us. Grab what you can we have to leave." Val stated as she looked out for any others approaching.  
"a-alright." Blake nodded, heading to grab any of the dried pumpkin that looked ready. He was hoping death was behind him, but apparently not. He knew she was right in what she did. He lifted up the boat, discovering them with their hideout. He had to be taken out or they would have been exposed to the strangers.

Most of the pumpkin pieces were ready. Being quickly scooped into the seed bag. The pieces that were still raw or wet had to be abandoned.

Blake met back with Val at the entrance. Her gesturing him to follow as they got out to run from the hiding spot. Blake following without his usual mistrust of Val. Right now he had a bigger issue following both of them. He was sure that Val wouldn't take the time to turn on him and risk her own life as they ran.

After who knows how long Blake had to stop running. His chest tightening up painfully with his breathing becoming dangerously difficult.

"val, Val." he spoke between wheezing and coughing. Stopping to lean against a nearby tree. Val only got a little ahead before seeing him stopping at the tree.

"we're not far enough." Val spoke to him urgently. Stopping when she realized the breathing issue he was having. Blake grew dizzy and slid down against the tree to the floor.

this was one of the few times he needed his inhaler. He never needed it before until Templegate came into his life. Then again this is the first ever point in time he really ran. The last time he ever needed an inhaler was when he was a young boy. He never had an issue since then. On all his reporting jobs he only had to run 10 feet to a car at most.

"whats wrong with you?" Val asked, concern seeming to come from her voice, but Blake didn't buy it.  
Just as he was beginning to catch his breath he freaked out as Vals hand went under his neck. He smacked her hand away from him. Standing up partially half way against the tree ready to defend himself.  
"if your injured let me see." Val stated to him, coming closer again.

"i am fine!" he wheezed out with a glare. Keeping his arm out in front of him to keep space between them.  
"why are you breathing like that?" Val asked.

"its asthma." he said, finally catching his breath again.

"asthma?" Val said with confusion.

"yes, but i am better now. So let's keep moving." he said. going around her to continue moving forward.  
Val didn't stop him to talk further on what happened. The two running again for a time before Blakes asthma locked up his breathing again.

"what happens with asthma?" Val asked, not in a hurry any more as they were far into the forest now.

"complicates breathing." he wheezed while leaning against another tree.

"how?" she asked.

"it closes them off, even when I breath in. It's just how my lungs work." he started, taking deep breaths toward the sky.

"can you take anything in at all?" she continued questioning.

"why do you want to know?" he questioned back with suspicion. His breathing returning to normal.

"to know how it works." she said.

"you never had anybody with breathing problems?" Blake asked.

"they had to have had SOMEone with a breathing issue." he thought.

"i knew some children who couldn't breath most the time, but they were sent to the scalled." Val answered. Beginning to walk forward after Blake seemed fit again to move.

"makes sense." he mumbled.

"with a disease break out going on they were probably paranoid of every cough and sneeze." he thought as he followed.

"can it spread?" Val asked.

"no, its genetic. ... Brought down through family. Like eye colors or hair and things … like that." he answered, going off a bit on trying to explain genetics in a simple way.

"does it do anything else besides harming breathing?" she continued questioning the subject.

"no. there's nothing else. It doesn't cause blisters or wounds … like knoths disease." Blake explained, realizing where Vals worry may have been placed. Thinking he was infected like the scalled or something worse. Which reminded him he should take one of those pills he has.  
He grabbed a bottle from his pocket and quickly took two pills. Returning the bottle back into his pocket.

"why do you have those?" Val quickly questioned at the sight of the recognizable medicine.

"a precaution." Blake stated.

"for what, what do they do?!" Val questioned more, paranoia entering her tone.

"they keep me from getting sick by-" Blake started.

"diseases?!" she interrupted.

"no, no, just injury!" Blake said. Hiding the fact he maybe sick with something. Sickness being a terrifying thing in Templegate.

"give me one then." Val demanded. Blake hesitated for a moment. He needed the pills much more then her with his injuries. But having her not abandon him out of disease paranoia is even more important. He quickly got out two pills and gave them without an argument. Val quickly swallowing down the pills before continuing on.

"... so where are we heading?" Blake asked. They had to stop eventually on their month long journey.

"find the second river and follow it to a cavern. we can rest there till morning. Then we'll move again." Val said.

"how far mite the river be?" he asked.

"not far now. I can hear it ahead. The cavern mite be a day of walking." Val said. The sounds of the river slowly growing louder as they walked.

"the water will be safe to drink in the cavern. So get your fill when we reach it." Val said as they began following the flowing water.

"the rivers safe, but not filtered through the cavern stone." Val added.

"whys this river safe?" he asked.

"its upstream from the strangers building. There's no poison flowing through this part of the river." she said.

"do you know what the strangers are here for?" he asked.

"no. they came many years ago. I lived in the wilderness for a time and saw them beginning to build. I tried to see what they were doing, but was shot at. After that i just tried to avoid them. I never saw them again till now." Val spoke of the encounter as she carefully walked over shifting gravel on a steep river edge. Stopping when Blake slipped into the thigh deep water.

"fuck, geeze!" Blake gasped out with surprise as half his body was thrown into cold deep water. Quickly scrambling out by grabbing a few thick tree roots.

"you alright?" Val quietly laughed and Blakes shocked reaction.

" F-freezing cold!" he shivered angrily as he was laughed at.

"the desert air will keep you warm." Val said with a hum forward.

"i-it isn't warm at night!" he shivered, trying to wring out the water from his soaked pants.  
"well, guess there a little cleaner then before." he thought as he drained the water.

* * *

Meanwhile  
"damn. There's definitely more survivors." the head officer spoke as he looked over the hidden camp. Once hidden under the rotting row boat. The bloody dead body of a Murkoff employee laying inside like a dug grave.

"looks like they were making food here sir." one officer said as he appeared out from the tunnel.

"fuck. There gonna try to escape here." the head officer growled with his jaw crackling.

"what should we do officer wicker?" the offer asked as he climbed out of the hidden ditch.

"i have to call this in to the CEO. She's not gonna be happy about this." wicker spoke as he pulled out his radio.  
"while I do this, burn that body and fill this thing in." he commended his lower officers with a crack of his jaw.


	4. Blackout

It took them almost 2 days before they arrived at the cavern. In just a few hours the sun would begin rising. Val seemed to be doing alright with the lack of sleep, unlike Blake. The sleep deprivation going on day 3 was beginning to kick in with hallucinations.

The past few hours having Blake grow paranoid of his surroundings. Seeing distorted creatures snap away from the bark of mangled dead trees. Or things writhing in the mud as they die like trapped in quicksand. He twitched and jumped from being startled by the disturbing sight. Trying his best not to draw attention to himself. He couldn't afford Val thinking he was sick right now.

"here we are." Val said as she ducked into the small opening. Blake cautiously following in behind. Stopping to look over the large cavern room. The roof covered in long stalactites with pools of water sitting in all the indents of the rock walls. Blake froze with the memory of the last time he was in a cave.

Surrounded by enclosing walls, chased through water with live electrical wires dangling feet above. Bodies nailed to walls, skeletal alters. The memory's seemed to drown out everything around. With his sleep deprivation being so bad the hallucinations began taking place.

Bodies appearing on the walls, writhing and screaming as blood dripped from them like rain. He froze down in fear at the sight. His breathing growing difficult as his chest constricted at the panic. Then he was scared back by the sudden flame of a torch.

Val towering over him torch in hand. The blood pooling over her soaked naked mud form. Stepping closer toward him blake panicked. He stood suddenly to prepare himself to run. Almost falling over instead after slamming his head up into the low cave ceiling.

The hallucination was broken by the pulsating pain in his skull. Realizing now that Val had started a fire and was calling to him.

"fallen, are you alright?" Val asked, standing nearby.

"yeah, just … not good with small spaces. I'll just stay outside." he said, going back the way out.

"that's not a good idea. You should rest inside." Val spoke with minor urgency.

"I'm not going to rest. I'll just be look out tonight." he said.

"i don't recommend being out in the open." Val spoke as she came out with a torch in hand.

"I'll be fine." he growled, not liking the vision of Val holding a torch while next to him.

"you have to come in." Val insisted.

"why?!" he snapped, paranoia peeking up.

"the wolves will get you out here." she said with a gesture to the darker areas of the tree line.

"there aren't any wolves." he huffed.

"there are. They used to haunt Templegate when the poison had the sheep and cattle fall. They would swarm for blood and eat anything alive. We eventually chased them off with fire or lit torches around the town. If you are going to stay out here you need at least a fire to fight them off." Val said, holding out the torch for Blake to take.

"ill just go inside." he grumbled as he stood back up.

"but I'm staying at the entrance." he spoke while walking back. Fearing deep down that he mite hallucinate once back in. thankfully not this time as he slowly entered to sit by the entrance. Looking over to a pool of tempting water. He still hasn't drank anything for the past 2 days. Despite when Val actually had them stop for some water at the river during their travel. The hallucinations he saw in the water kept him from going near.

Half the time on there travel he could barely tell were Val was. Nothing in his situation was keeping him calm. He knew he needed to or else he wouldn't last long.

"maybe this was a bad idea. I should have gone my way. Alone and without that insane psychopath. Who knows what she's thinking, planning, or doing behind my back. It's why she wants me to sleep so bad. She wants to do something to me when I sleep." he thought, not noticing he was shivering from the cold breeze blowing over him from the entrance.

"it's warmer by the fire. You'd be better sitting over here." Val spoke over to him from the small fire pit.  
"i am fine over here." Blake said as he stayed seated in his dark and damp spot by the entrance. The fact that his pants were still soaked from his spill in the river didn't help from his temptation of the hot fire.

"lying doesn't suit you." she spoke with a smirk, calling him out on the small lie. Blake silently grumbled to himself as he ignored her. Not even wanting to face her at the moment.

"you must be tired. I haven't seen you sleep at all these past 2 days." Val spoke to him.

Blake remained silent, unable to come up with a reply to that. He didn't want to show how tired he really was. He'd stay awake for days if he had to. Deep in his mind however, he knew that wasn't possible. A human can only go so long without sleep before they just collapse.

"i can't sleep, it's hard now, but once were traveling again I can stay awake." he thought, trying his hardest to keep his eyes open. The shivering being the only thing keeping him awake at this moment. He looked down at his injured hands wrapped in old bloody bandage.

"why don't you sleep by me? Afraid I'll bite?" Val teased. Blake glared as his hands in anger.  
"something like that." he thought angrily.

"i just want to get to the town and sleeping slows us down." he spoke.

He sighed and began unwrapping his hand bandages to change them. Moving his hand as he checked around the wounds.

"they still work." he sighed to himself. Taking out a couple fresh bandages to re-wrap them. Slightly happy to see the wounds looking healthy without smell of infection.

"i can get something to help those." Val suddenly spoke from behind him, having Blake jump again.  
"no. i am fine." he snapped at her, wanting to be left alone.

"herbs will help them heal faster. Should also cauterize them" Val pushed.

"they'll heal faster at a hospital in the town. By someone who knows what there doing with surgical tools!" he grumbled.

"hm." she hummed while walking back to the fire. Blake gave a sigh of relief after she left him. Tensing up when he saw her relight the torch she offered to him earlier.

"what are you doing?" he asked out of paranoia.

"going to collect herbs. I won't be far." Val answered causally.

"i told you I don't need herbs!" he snapped.

"it's still best to have them on hand." she spoke before heading out of the cavern. Leaving Blake alone with the burning fire.

Blake sighed while rubbing his head. A headache quickly growing inside his skull. After being alone long enough he was tempted by the fire once again. The shivering not being as bearable as it was earlier.

"i shouldn't risk another hallucination or risk getting too comfortable. Falling asleep while Vals off somewhere I don't know. I should have had her stay inside where I can watch her." he thought in his dark corner.

"miss me, fallen?" Val said to announce her arrival back inside.

"fallen, is that what she calls me?" he thought, watching her out of the corner of his eye.

"i don't need the herbs." he spoke to reaffirm his position on the matter.

"i still have to crush them first." Val replied to reaffirm her own side.

"your going to need them at some point." she added as she took out assorted leaves or fern looking plants. Setting them in a large rounded dip of a large rock. Picking up a nearby rock that fitted into her palm to begin slowly grinding the herbs down. Some dips looking hand made from crushing herbs against them before.

"have you been here before?" he asked after watching her for a moment.

"i should question her. Find out what she knows about this area. Where the town is. Maybe if I can figure things out I can make a run for it on my own. Better to have a plan anyway in case something happens to make us split." he thought.

"this was my home for a while. … When I was a lot younger." Val spoke a little more quietly than usual.

"why'd you live out here?" Blake asked despite knowing the reason why.

"Her mother being sent to the scalled with the town forcing her out like vultures. If the journal was correct anyway." he thought.

"issues." she simply stated as she began crushing the herbs a little harder.

"did you learn about herbs out here?" he asked, trying to keep the conversation going.

"no. … my mother, before she joined Knoth, was a forest ranger." Val spoke, a tone of aggression when knoths name was spoken.

"she taught me as much as she could before being sent off to the scalled." she continued with difficulty on the subject.

"she tell you about the town too?" Blake asked. Trying to turn the subject back toward information of the land over back stories.

"heh, no." Val spoke with more satisfaction.

"as I was beginning to lead my loves another from knoths flock wanted to join us. It was one of knoths errand boys he would send into the outer world for supplies. I said I would accept him if he did something for me. I had him go and make Knoth paranoid about his flock losing numbers. That there were rumors of Templegate about to be attacked.

The plan worked well with Knoth sending the boy off with lots of money. Told him to buy as much supplies with all the money before returning. He got the supplies, but instead of delivering to Knoth he came back to us. The fat priest never recovered after that." she told happily as she finished crushing the herbs. Laughing toward the end of the story.

"he told us where the town was, where to go, and look for supplies." she finished.

"have you traveled to the town before?" blake asked.

"no." she answered.

"no?!" Blake exclaimed in question.

"no, but I know the way." she assured with confidence in herself.

"what if you don't?! What if the ways changed because of the storm?!" Blake exclaimed as he stood.

"then we can find a different way." Val spoke calmly toward him.

"we could have gone my way!" he snapped.

"there's no way to cross the gorge that way." Val stated.

"you don't know that! My town could have been a lot closer! Maybe a week of walking!" he argued, getting more agitated over Vals calmness on the matter.

"do you know that?" she asked.

"n- y-yes!" he stuttered, hesitating when he really didn't want to. He let out a frustrated sigh before going out of the cavern. Being blinded by the just now rising sun.

"what are you doing?" val called to him from inside.

"I'm getting ready to head out." he stated.

"we were suppose to rest here for the day." Val stated.

"well i am going. I want to get to the town as fast as possible. You can come or stay here and catch up later." he stated back. Unwilling to move on the subject. He could hear Val sigh inside the cavern.  
"do you never rest, fallen? You have to stop at some point, everyone has to." Val spoke in a somewhat ominous tone toward the end as she emerged.

"i sleep when i am alone. Now i am going to start walking sooo ..." he glared at her. His glare wavering to the side as her unbreakable stare slowly chipped away at his nerves.

"fine, if I must." she said before returning inside to gather up the various crushed herbs into there each separate bags. Soon joining Blake outside in the rising sun.

it was probably the first time Blake was ever this close to her in the day. Being able to see her better meant he could afford falling behind a bit. Tending to keep almost a 20 foot space between them if he could.

So being able to fully see her caught him off guard a bit. Wearing a dark blue dress with long sleeves. A low collar showing off her beads with cross wrapped tightly around her neck. A small black bag at her hip, black boots, and bright golden hair that shined in the sun. Her eyes being the most capturing feature with a bright deep blue that practically glowed in the light.

"what, fallen?" Val asked with a raised eyebrow at Blake staring at her. Blakes stare turning into a glare with that nickname. The memory of what she was hitting him like a truck.

"why do you call me that? You know i am not the dad of the Antichrist or whatever!" he huffed.

"i know, but you still fell from the heavens." Val smiled lightly as she walked by him to lead the way.

"i fell from the sky, because a giant white light blasted my helicopter from the sky!" he exclaimed as he followed behind.

"helicopter?" she said with curiosity.

"yeah, … its a metal thing with a spinning thing on top ... that lets it fly." Blake explained slowly.  
"she doesn't know what a helicopter is?" he thought.

"oh, those. I've seen them flying before. Kind of like planes, right?" Val asked.

"yes, sorta. We have a lot of metal things like that. Some don't fly, but they get us around. Like a horse and cart, but much faster." he said.

"I've seen broken ones of the thing you describe. there are rusted ones in some places of the town. None of us were allowed to speak of them, or what they were. We used to have running tractors till the bastard demanded we throw the outsider machines away. The wagons with wheels were kept, but pulled by horses from then on." she spoke with a bit of anger.

"nothing from the outside was allowed to be spoken of. It was always called a evil dark place. A place full of sinners looking to lead us astray. Only a select few were allowed to leave the "sanctuary" to the outside for a list of supplies. Even then they weren't allowed to go but once a month, depending on supplies left." she said.

"oh, I think I saw some of those rusted pieces. didn't really have time to stop and look. … we also have other things out in the world. Like hold-able things in your hand like a radio, but you can talk to people from far away places." Blake began explaining.

"i know what a cell phone is. It can also look up information, and shine like a flashlight, right?" Val asked.

"uh, yes. How'd you learn about that?" Blake asked with his own curiosity peaking. She didn't seem to know much about other things, but knew a cell phone well.

"when we got the errand boy to join us and give us supplies over the fat priest. While in town he wanted to give us outside information from a book store. Things that Knoth did not allow. He brought back 3 books. A travel photo book, a book about home life, and a history of technology between 1990 to 2010. we looked over those books till they were falling apart." she spoke tiredly with a sigh at the end.

"what else did you learn from the technology book?" Blake asked out of curiously.

" things like TVs, music players, computers, phones, lots of things like that. Most of us have never heard of things that were mentioned. There were a few older members that helped clear some of our questions, but not all of them. They immigrated to Templegate years before many of those newer versions of technology were around." she explained as she hopped over a low fallen tree.

With Blake stumbling over it right behind. His body was not taking the lack of sleep well. It was slowing him up with his vision blurring.

"fuck." he thought, rubbing his face to try and help his tired vision.

"i have to sleep, but I can't, but I have no choice. If I keep going like this I won't make it." he thought, looking up toward the sunny sky.

"how far is the next place?" he asked.

"not far, need to pass the upcoming cliff side." Val spoke.

"... cliffside?" Blake paused in walking.

"yes, its why I wanted us to sleep back there before crossing. It's not the most stable, but the only way to cross around the mountain." she said, continuing to walk forward.

"how longs the crossing?" he asked, trying to swallow. Being unable after refusing to drink anything in the cavern.

"its very long, and can get very thin at some parts. It's important to watch your footing the entire way." she spoke in a serious manner.

"you … you think you can cross?" he asked, getting nervous about the task ahead.

"i have crossed it many times before along with many edges like it in the mines." she spoke over her shoulder to him.

Blake turned silent for the rest of their walk. It wasn't long before they reached the start of the edge. The sun high over head for the after noon bearing down to bake Blakes back. He looked over the mountain scraping the sky above them. Then down to the rocky canyon far below with a little trickle for a stream flowing at the bottom. The drop making him feel dizzy and light headed already. He looked back up to trace the edge following the whole shear side around the mountain. The little sliver of edge disappearing far around the rocky side.

"we have to follow this whole thing?!" he panted from the heat.

"yes, if you want to get there in a month. Going the low path will gain us another 2 weeks of traveling." she said over to him as she carefully started along the narrow path.

Blake watched her cautiously walk by the 2 foot wide edge that quickly grew more and more narrow. He tried to swallow again before nervously making his way around. Stopping just at the start as his head felt light again. He managed to swallow this time as he closed his eyes. Taking deep breaths to regain some focus that only a miracle could provide.

"are you coming, fallen?" Val called from further up the narrow edge.

"yeah, … and my names Blake!" he spoke while hiding his nervousness. Slowly moving forward on the edge. Watching as it quickly grew narrower and narrower. The 2 foot wide path turning more into just 6 inches.

"just, don't look down." he fought with himself. Despite the good advice he still had to in making sure his next footing would be safe. A few close calls with shifting gravel almost having him slip a few times.

"h-how long till the edge widens again?" he asked nervously. Panting under the boiling hot desert sun. even the mountain breeze blowing down wasn't enough to keep him cool.

"in about 10 minutes there will be a wider edge for a couple of feet. We can sit there for a moment before continuing forward." Val said. Stopping when she noticed Blake looking ill.  
"you don't look well." she stated to him.

"it's just the heat and dust. Its acting up my asthma up here." he made up in an excuse.

"will you make it, fallen?" Val asked him.

"yes, just keep going." he growled, not wanting to spend anymore time on the incredibly small ledge.  
Val didn't argue, simply continuing forward with a roll of her eyes. Blake catching that and giving an aggravated hum in her direction.

Blake took a few steps following behind Val. Getting a terrifying glance down the cliff. His body locking up at the sight. Another hallucination coming to the surface as he was now looking down into a dark well.

He swallowed as he looked deeper and deeper. A strong sense that something was staring back from the darkness below. The sound of many whispering being heard. Blakes heart tightening in his chest as he tried to listen carefully to what they could be saying.

Val stopped as she no longer heard Blakes shuffling. Turning with her eyes growing huge as she saw him leaning dangerously forward right out into the open air. She watched him for just a second more before grabbing upon instinct at him letting go of the cliff wall.

Managing to pull him back and swing him around into a panicked hug as she slammed herself back into the wall. Blake barely realized what was going on till he swooped over a near death experience down the massive drop. Both now being chest to chest with Vals back as far as it could go into the wall and Blakes hands clawing into the dry earth.

Both taking deep breaths to calm their hearts. Val looking over as she heard a small crackling with rocks following after.

"move, go back! Right now, get back!" she commanded, helping Blake rush back around. Both making it just out of the way to watch a small landslide. Chunks of rock slamming into the edging to break off even bigger chunks down the rest of the way.

"fuck, can we still go forward?" Blake asked, just barely seeing some of the walking edge crumble away past Val.

"no. unless you want to jump." Val stated.

"were you trying to kill yourself?" she asked seriously with a side glance toward him.

"what, no!" he stated, with a furrowed brow.

"I've only seen people look that far off an edge when they have a purpose to it." she spoke as she looked fully at him.

"i wasn't trying to kill myself. Why would I be stupid to do that after how far I've come?" he said as he frustratingly continued back to where they started.

"what were you looking so far at?" she asked as she followed.

"just … leave it. I wasn't trying to kill myself. Let's leave it at that." Blake spoke, his exhaustion coming in full force now.

As he made it to the other side he leaned against the rock wall. Trying to fight exhaustion, dehydration, and panic all at the same time.

"i have to get moving again. Before Val starts to realize how i am doing." he thought, tiredly pushing on the rocks to get walking again.

"we should stop and rest. You need to be taken care of." Val spoke softly behind him.

"lets just keep going." he said, ignoring her words as he slowly walked forward. Not realizing if it was even the correct direction to walk in. stopping as his arm was pulled back by Val.

"i need to look at those." Val stated as she examined one of Blake's hands.

"their fine! They're scabbing without infection!" Blake exclaimed, yanking his hand back.

"scabbing doesn't fill the hole. An infection could just as easily fill inside and not at the scab. If that happens it'll have to be drained with a hot knife. Burning along with a herbal paste will have them close shut."

"they'll be fine. I can see a doctor in town and they'll fix them there." Blake growled, keeping his hands close to himself to keep from being grabbed again.

"after over a month of travel?" Val spoke with a raised eyebrow. Blake almost stumbled in his steps. Remembering that their trip was lengthened after the cliff side crumbling.

"yes." he tried to state confidently before walking again.

Val watched him walk with an expressionless face. Looking from him back toward the tree line not too far from the both of them.

"i have to get something." she spoke without hesitation on walking to her own goal.

"what, where, for what?!" he exclaimed, turning around as he saw her go off.

"come back! We have to keep going!" he yelled at her.

"stay away from the cliff edge, unless you want to fall off." she yelled back just before disappearing from view.

"i am going by myself!" he yelled back in a threatening tone. Letting out an exhausted breath when no answer came. Knowing he wasn't going to get his way with Val on the matter. He rubbed his face and looked out toward the direction he was heading.

"this probably leads to that little stream. I just got to follow it. It'll lead to a town … at some point … or the ocean." he thought staring far out toward the horizon. Startled by the sound of his stomach growling painfully. He brought out his food bag to pull out some dried pumpkin sticks.

"fuck, not going to have enough food. Hope Vals going to bring more back. What could she possibly be getting, more herbs?" He thought, chewing down his food. He tied the bag shut to set it back in his Velcro bag for safe keeping. Just as he swallowed down his mouthful of dried pumpkin Val had quietly walked up behind him.

"blake!" she said urgently behind him. Right after turning his head to face her he got a huge cloud of dust blown into his face.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" he yelled with mixed rage followed by panicked realization at what happened.  
His vision quickly going double with tunnel vision. The world swirling around him as he grew weak and light headed.

"you never breath in as much as others do. Your asthma must cause the problem." Val spoke casually as she stood nearby. Watching Blake fumble in his steps.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?! WHAT- what ..." he shouted. Speaking becoming harder as his vision blackened. His final moments being awake had him feeling a fall to the hard ground.

* * *

Meanwhile officer wicker was losing patience. Dealing with incompetent soldiers who couldn't find a trace of the survivors. Managing to only find a nicely set up grave by a large tree. He already got chewed out by the CEO once. He wasn't going to get another chewing, at least not without a target to get his frustrations out on.

He grinded his teeth together till they found a comfortable setting for his jaw to slip in place. His radio crackling had his full attention. Pulling it from his belt to answer it with the press of a button.  
"sir we found some footprints in gravel up flow of the river." one spoke through the radio.  
"the one heading toward the facility?" wicker asked with his jaw cracking out and back into place.  
"no, this one is the marked trail. You know, the one the crazies sent people for supply runs on to that town." the radio answered.

"that must be where they're heading. Send some helicopters to hunt the whole way. Get a blockade set up before the town. I do NOT want them reaching it. People see these nut jobs or worse if its the reporter, and Murkoffs going to skin all of us!"

"yes sir. What should we do when we find the survivors?"

"hmm, I'll ask the CEO. If it's the reporter, shoot him dead. If not, take the crazies back to the facility. Could use them for something like dissection study." wicker spoke with satisfaction at some news of findings.


	5. Among wolves

"ugh." Blake groaned out with a headache. Slowly coming to consciousness as he took his surroundings in. he realized that he was in a cave of some sort. Hearing a nearby steam trickling by had him slowly get up with a desperate need for water.

His heart jumped up into his throat at the sight of Val sleeping with her arms around him. His body leaping to its feet only to smash his whole upper body into the small cave ceiling. The loud noise along with Blake scrambling away having Vals sleep disturbed.

"what, wait, YOU!" Blake went through his memory to find out what was going on. Remembering he got a face full of knockout powder from Val.

"what did you do?! Why, why, what for?!" he spoke in a panic as he quickly examined himself. Still had all his clothes on, but his hands felt a little odd with new bandages.

"what did you do?!" he repeated in growing anger.

"i took care of you." Val stated casually as she sat up to watch Blake.

"by throwing dust in my face!" he snapped at her.

"you were being difficult." she stated.

"you stop and think there's a reason for that?! Why I don't like being near you! Why I want to get back to civilization! Away from this horrifying cursed wilderness in the twilight zone!" he shouted at her. Getting only a intense stare in return from Val.

"ugh, you don't get it. This was a mistake, I just need to walk on my own." he mumbled to himself with exhaustion.

"why are you so upset? I fixed your hands along with getting you to sleep." Val spoke with confusion.

"why, WHY?! What do you think is the reason why?! Tortured me, chased we to a disgusting orgy with a lit torch, then you -" Blake roared till he was unable to continue. Glaring deeply at her with all his hatred.

"I need to get away. From everything here." he thought looking away, holding back some tears building up at all the trauma washing over him. His stress making him breath a little harder. The dust Val threw at him had definitely gotten stuck in his lungs. Aggravated his asthma into locking up his breathing.

"i need to get away from Val without making her angry. When I do I'll just follow the stream. has to lead to a town at some point." he thought.

"i need some air." he said, before leaving the small space. The small cave being more of a large crack in the cliff side wall. Val had moved them to the small stream area below the cliff top they were at before.

"are you sure you're rested enough? You shouldn't be up and walking. You need to slow down and eat." Val asked. Blake originally wasn't going to answer that until he saw the rising sun outside.

"how long was I out?" he asked.

"two full days, this being the third morning." she answered as she silently emerged out of the large crack in the wall.

Looking at his hands at the strange feeling over them again. He unwrapped the newly done bandage wrappings. Finding the holes in his hands had been carefully mended. Cleaned, stitched together and burned shut with a thick paste of some kind carefully covering the now small wound. The strange feeling being his skin held tightly together more than normal. He sighed as he re-wrapped his hands.

"well, can't say she didn't try to wake me. If burning both my hands didn't do the job, nothing else would have." he thought.

"you need to drink and eat something." Val repeated to him.

"i am not a kid, I can look after myself." he grumbled, pulling out his bag of food, which felt a little lighter than before.

"you ate some?" he asked, grabbing a handful of food himself.

"yes, I was hoping to hunt for something more, but those men have been around." Val spoke with a glare toward the tree line.

"the strangers from town?" Blake spoke, surprised to learn they went out so far from town. Nearly choking on his mouthful of food.

"they're looking for us. They spoke of that thing you were always holding, and the grave you made. … who do you report information to?" Val said as she walked more into the open by Blake. Asking him a curious question at the end.

"what?" Blake spoke, confused of the question.

"they said you reported. Report information to who?" Val repeated.

"oh, that. I don't report to one person specifically. Me and … lynn … we would go out and learn story's or about events and make details clear or tell them to others so the story's or events will be more well known. I reported to a lot of people." Blake explained.

"were you trying to report knoths teachings? Or something about Templegate?" Val asked with more serious anger in her tone.

"no, no! We were here to report on that Jane doe case. A pregnant girl who was found by a road. We were trying to find out where she came from. What was done to her." Blake answered quickly. Knowing well how Val hated Knoth.

"oh, I remember her." Val said.

"were you after her to?" Blake asked, eating another handful of seeds.

"no, I Am the one who let her go." Val said as she knelt down close to the water.

"you let her go, why?" Blake asked, quickly turning toward her in surprise. Not expecting that answer at all.

"as I said before. Knoths accusations of the Antichrists child were getting old. I knew without a doubt who's father that child came from. It wasn't very important to me anymore to gather the mothers, but I wasn't going to let Knoth get the satisfaction of killing her. So, I caused some delays on knoths followers just till she reached the deeper parts of the forest.

After that I didn't care where she ended up or what happened. It was satisfying enough to see Knoth go insane from losing." Val laughed to herself. She stood up again to begin walking by the river.

"we going on? I thought you wanted us to stop?" Blake questioned.

"we are, but we need something more than just seeds and pumpkin sticks. I'll try and catch some fish. Only thing we can get while those men wander through the trees. I'll return by afternoon while you stay here and rest." Val said to Blake before continuing down the river.

"now mite be my chance to run." Blake thought. Reconsidering when his stomach painfully growled. Seeds were not very filling and the bag was getting close to empty. This was supposed to be used in emergency cases only.

"maybe have Val bring some actual food first. This makeshift trail mix doesn't do much." he thought as he looked down at the sad amount of food. He tied the bag shut before shoving it back in his side bag.  
He looked down at the small stream with thirst. Smacking his lips before getting down to the water. Dunking his head entirely below the water to set there for a moment. Allowing his baked dry skin to soak in some moisture before taking gulps down to rehydrate the rest of his body.

Bringing his head up to finally take a gasp of air. Allowing all the water on his head to pour down the rest of his body. He glared up at the sunny sky as he felt how hot it was becoming. His face already beginning to feel dry again.

He stood up and kicked a few rocks to the side into the water. Noticing what bad shape his legs were in. covered in blood, mud, and who knows what else. Same for his shirt and jacket with rips being most of his outfit over actual fabric.

Blake made a face of disgust before he walked into the shallow stream. Standing in only shin deep water to start scrubbing himself down. The water temporarily turning reddish brown as he washed away the caked on bloody mud. Being extra careful around the large gashes he obtained. Unluckily finding a few stray cactus needles still sticking in his pant legs.  
Which reminded him of something. The stitches in his hands.

"where did Val get stitching wire?" he wondered  
"what else does she carry? Already discovered she had a knife on her, wonder if she has something worse." he thought, paranoia spiking again.

"i can leave." he mumbled to himself. Looking off toward the direction Val left toward.  
"id be a while before she returns and sees me gone." he thought with a swallow. His stomach growling again reminded him of why he originally stayed. Although this time it wasn't as much of a bother. The mass amount of water he swallowed had filled his stomach to the top.

"i could probably catch fish on my own. Or find some kind of berry's by the river." he thought. The idea of leaving fully settling in his mind.

His thoughts breaking as he heard a familiar sound. He turned to look toward the sky before bolting back into the large crack in the wall. A black helicopter slowly flying over head. Obviously following the river in search of them.

Blake could just see a armored man sitting to the side on a mounted gun. They weren't just looking to capture, they were hunting for blood.

"fuck!" Blake said quietly. The sight of men hunting him had him run off. No longer wanting to be anywhere in the area. He still wanted to escape Val with this being his biggest chance. The helicopter would probably scare her away allowing Blake more time to gain distance between them.

This however created the problem of leaving the river unsafe. He'd have to follow something else to his salvation.

"i just need to keep heading in one direction." he thought as he ran through the forest. Suddenly stopping as he almost ran of a steep hillside. He looked down worryingly on what to do. He wanted to head in one direction, but already he was cut short.

He was never good at thinking of issues ahead of time. The main reason why he ran into hell to save lynn before thinking that he should go for help first.

"could have helped. Could have reached her in time." he thought, scolding himself for not thinking about it till it was far too late. He stopped the thoughts as soon as they started, nothing could change the past. Scolding himself wouldn't help his current situation. He needed to focus on surviving himself now that he was on his own again.

"okay, just like the cliff. Slow and steady." he breathed while carefully moving down the sheer edge. Rocks easily crumbling below his feet. The drop wasn't deadly, but it would surely cause a serious amount of pain.

"careful, careful, care-" Blake repeated nervously in his mind, interrupted as a chunk of land below him slid down the dirt siding. Taking Blake down with it at a terrifyingly fast pace. His heart jumped up into his chest then slamming down as he landed into a small cactus pile.

"fuck!" Blake roared out in pain. Slowly yanking himself free of the painful trap.

"could be worse I guess. At least laird or nick isn't yanking me out from this." he breathed out in pain. Pulling himself free with a large tearing sound resembling Velcro. Needles sticking out all over the back of his legs up to his arms spreading over his mid back.

He covered his hand with his shirt sleeve. Sweeping away the many needles with a wince. He didn't have time to pick every needle out. He learned to quickly sweep them out so he could run again without slowing.

"just cleaned these too." he said, watching his clothes be covered in splotched drops of blood from the various needle pricks. He picked up his jogging pace again once the needles were clear. Making it very far despite his asthma stopping him many times along the way.

"okay, should probably find shelter. Or at least make one someplace." he said to himself. Continuing to walk through the darkening forest as the sun fell behind the mountains. A unusually nice comfort settling over Blake as he began hearing the more normal sounds of a healthy forest. Crickets, owls, even spotting a few deer graze between the trees. Unlike Templegate where the whole land seemed dead with the smell of rotting meat following him everywhere.

"if I don't stop and just walk through the night I can take a day off my travel time. So if I skip sleeping every other night. Then I can get to town in less then a month." he said to himself optimistically.

"I'll get back, find a ATM and rent a hotel. Get clean, call for the FBI or something for help. Then I'll sleep for as long as I want. Order a cheeseburger, no make it a steak. A whole rack of ribs from a cow. With sides of bacon and pancakes." Blake thought, having his stomach growl angrily in reminder at its emptiness.

"guess I still have to take time to eat though." he said while stopping. Looking around his dark surroundings in search of anything remotely edible. Growing uncomfortable with the silence of the forest. Once sounding so full of life was eerily dead.

"oh, it's just dark. … So everything's sleeping." Blake said to himself in explanation of the dead silence. A feeling of being watched overcoming him. He nervously swallowed while carefully examining the darkness for any movement or sound.

A rushing rustling was heard behind Blake allowing him no time to see what the cause was before a shooting pain reached his leg. Blake turned to grab whatever it was latched onto the back of his leg. Grabbing a fist full of a little hair along with the disgusting feeling of cracking skin. In one pull he yanked the creature off with a nasty sound mixed with hair being pulled out and skin snapping.

"ugh, fucker!" Blake roared out in mixed pain over a chunk of leg ripped away to anger at the cause. He yanked out his metal shard for ready defense. Facing the creature who had suddenly attacked from the darkness. Tossing away the handful of cracked skin with bits of fur hanging off he pulled off the beast.

Blake could just barely see the creature. A wolf, or at least what used to look like a wolf. Now a pitiful creature with thin patches of fur. Skin looking rotten as it cracked off in bloody patches. Along with a terrible smell matching its looks.

The wolf wheeze out at Blake as it gave a mile long stare. Foaming drool pouring from its bottom jaw that hanged as if the wolf had no idea how to close it.

"hey, fuck off! shoo, get away!" Blake yelled at it. Stomping his foot hard into the ground to try and scare it off.

The creature was unaffected by Blakes loud aggressive display. Continuing to give its unnerving stare with drool forming a thick paste with the dirt at its paws.

"... what's wrong with it?" Blake thought, afraid of what disease this thing might actually have.  
"better not have fucking rabies. I have enough problems." he thought while cautiously beginning to walk. Keeping a very close eye on the disgusting thing that remained frozen at its place.  
After getting a few feet of distance behind Blake, the wolf let out a huge wheeze. Beginning to twitch and jerk as it moved forward in a unnatural shuffling quick pace. Causing Blake to stop with wide eyes at this thing managing to follow.

Blake attempted again to chase the thing off. Growling and yelling at it in vain as the wolf stared endlessly. The wolf wheezed and snapped its jaws. More twitching having its head rolling to the side. Drool pooling out even more with its tongue hanging limp. The wolf again snapped its jaws despite its tongue in the way. A chunk of tongue hanging by a thread showing this may be a common thing.

"i can't have this thing stalking me the entire way. Doesn't even seem to realize i am a threat to it. Or that its hurting itself." Blake thought, contemplating the idea of putting it out of its misery. No possible way it would be surviving on its own for much longer.

He turned to face the twitching creature. Getting his metal shard ready as he aimed to lodge it in the wolfs neck.

"right into the spine, one hit. Don't let it suffer anymore then it needs." Blake thought nervously. Hands shaking as he lifted up his arm while approaching. A large jerking twitch from the wolf had Blake flinch away. A mistake as the wolf leapt up to latch onto Blakes arm.

Blake began to kick and pull at the creature, throwing it off with ease from lack of weight. Blake examined his arm, the multiple wounds being not as bad as they could have. The creature instead of normally attacking like any canine with a bite and shaking motion it tried chewing first. Biting down multiple times to leave a trail of thick foaming spit over tooth bites.

The wolf twitched and jerked as it began having trouble standing. It wheezed repeatedly as it cracked its head backwards into a painful looking position. Wheezing turning into a screeching cries resembling whines or cries of pain.

"fuck." Blake winced at the painful noise. Heading off in a hurry to gain distance from both the wolf and its incredibly annoying screeches. Blakes pace gaining in speed as he saw a concerning site. More pairs of yellow eyes rustling quickly through the brush in a large group. The sound of growls followed by wheezing closing in around him.

One by one they rushed from the darkness. Unlike the last encounter these wolves were not as damaged. Snapping at Blakes heels with no hesitation. Following him relentlessly with only minor twitching or jerking slowing them just enough to prevent a solid bite landing.

Blake looked back for just a moment to see the hoard of creatures snapping at his legs. Looking forward again as a bright flashlight shined upon him. Just managing to swoop around one of the armored strangers. Slipping past two others who had almost grabbed him.

"hey!" Blake heard one of the men yelled. Stumbling to the dirt as he felt bullets whiz by or taking chunks from the trees beside him.

The bullets stopping just as they started when a shout of pain was heard. Blake looking over his shoulder to see the swarm of wolfs overcoming these men with full Armour and guns. The multiple bullets shot into them not slowing the beasts the slightest. As if they were unable to recognize the pain causing threat.

They yanked, pulled, and shredded into the men till they fell to the dirt. Piling onto them as the men begged for help while being torn apart under a pile. Some being dragged away by wolves mauling on their legs. Blood splattering the area as meat was yanked apart in desperate tug-o-wars. The beasts desperately fighting over the smallest pieces of meat.

Blake took a deep breath as he got to his feet. Keeping low under the forest brush to avoid being seen. Adrenaline having his body shiver with his knuckles turning white from the strong grip on his metal shard.

"i have to get somewhere high." he thought. Aiming for safety from the forest floor.

"gah, fuck!" he growled through gritted teeth. Feeling the familiar cactus needles in his shin as he scrambled up a hill in the dark. Climbing up the cliff edge he ran into at the top. He couldn't see how tall it was or where it lead exactly. As long as it was away from the wolves. He made it to a large edging in the cliff side. Climbing more easily into it with the use of thick roots spreading over the edging.

"okay. I am safe. Maybe I should make a light." he thought, remembering what Val said about the wolves and fire.

"would help the cold too." he thought. Carefully grabbing vines and any twigs he could find lying around the ledge.

It took him a while to start a small fire. Carefully adding more sticks to grow the fire. Getting close to sit by the warm fire. Carefully examining his fresh wolf bites. Realizing just how bad they were now that he can see them.

The one on the back of his leg being especially deep. It wasn't the brightest idea to yank a biting wolf off with a chunk of himself, but it was a sudden reflex. Blake sighed as he brought out a roll of new bandages. Stuffing the gaping hole in his leg with a bandage ball to stop the bleeding. Tightly wrapping his leg with a wince at the burning pain.

"definitely need pills now. Please no rabies I don't want to face huge stomach needles in a hospital when I get back." he grumbled as he carefully cleaned the slobber from his arm. Being more like a thick sticky slime over spit.

"fuck, I need to ration these." Blake said at the realization he had one bandage roll left. Deciding to put the roll back instead of wrapping the bites covering his arm. Grabbing the pill bottle next to take a few antibiotics.

His attention turning to the small book hidden in his bag. Pulling it out to pass the time till the safety of the sun returns. The scary reminder of what's out there being heard as long screeches followed by wheezing from the dark.

* * *

"2000, February 10th  
my flock grows concern as have I. Lately our live stock has been acting as if illness had taken hold in their brains. My farmers don't believe it to be rabies and I personally doubt it's "the plague" like many of my flock thinks that the scalled suffer from. I don't plan on ever explaining what the scalled suffer from either, or what causes it. Till me or a farmer figures it out I'll just let them assume what they want.  
So far the smallest of creatures have died first. Frogs, fish, birds, even the rats and mice have been turning up dead in the fields. The first guess of the cause was diseased rodents in the food. That didn't explain the fish or frogs however. The next theory is the lake and surrounding rivers being poisoned. Possibly my toxic gases escaping the mines far below.

I have talked to Val about this and asked if he ever saw this in his time among the wilderness. Even he doesn't have any idea of what this could be. Telling me that the mines wouldn't be doing this for so long. This all started 3 years ago and continues to get worse.

Val has incessantly been telling me we must leave the toxic land. I refuse to move since the last migration had my flocks loyalty falter. Besides this land was bestowed upon me by the lord. I cannot leave this designated holy land. That would be just as foolish.

Maybe these are the first signs of the end. Reaching over the land like the plagues of Egypt. I beg god to have mercy on his flock and weed out the doubters and sinners hiding amongst us."

"2000, August 27th  
the remaining of our livestock will have to be burned. The animals attack anyone who comes near. All the meat on them makes people insane or ill. Things have been hard enough since the horses that pull the harvest wagons needed to be put down. The muzzles we used on them were slipping far too much. It made the farmers too uncomfortable to use them.

Cows are becoming bigger terrors then the horses were. Destroyed a gated field and half a barn they were moved to with there mad bucking. Gored 3 farmers to death this week. We can't afford anymore loss of life, but the starvation has been setting hard over Templegate.

Val has been trying hard to keep the flock in order. Despite multiple warnings from him my flock continues to desperately eat the dead fish floating the lake. I am often tempted myself until that horrid smell of rotten fish over the water hits me.

I sent Val out with a few groups to forage the wilderness with little success. Any life in the forest shriveled into dead wood like the berry bushes or died off from disease like all the deer. The smell of rotten meat gathering a swarm of flies.

A greater test is coming from above as wolves gather the city's edge. So far devouring the rotten fish, but lately have been stalking closer. Many growing more and more diseased just like the cattle. Hair loss, twitching, moving more like spiders then dogs.

The wolves are a creation of the lord. Only sinners should fear the greater hounds of heaven. They are merely here to torture the doubters. I questioned Val on where her faith was as he grew more nervous of the howls. Its merely a test of faith that my loyal flock will see through."

* * *

"so this is where it all started." Blake thought after reading the two entries.  
"judging by knoths hand writing the "disease" was getting to him too. Those strangers have to be connected somehow, but how? A biological weapon test by the government?" Blake thought. Looking more into the journal as he read up on the plagues haunting temple gate.

Jumping at the sound of wolves screeching right below. The unblinking shining bright eyes staring up. Screeching and crying at the discovery of food just above them.

"uuuugh, shut up!" Blake yelled down at them. Tossing a lit branch down below. The wolves scattering like cockroaches at the sight of the light. Running to the darkness followed by eerie silence.  
"maybe they'll stay gone." Blake mumbled, looking back toward the book.

* * *

"2000, October 21st  
wolves have been preying on the sinners without rest. I worry that my flocks faith has gravely faltered. They do not believe the lord protects them from the plagues. They confess their fears over the loss of many farmers trying to drive the wolves off. Talking about how they will handle the larger harvests or gather enough food before the mountain snows hit.  
I told Val to handle there worry's as they wont accept my comforting words. He has a better voice of calming than me.

"2000, October 30th  
I had everyone gather in prayer tonight. Uplifting spirits that the plagues would pass and our souls will prevail. All those that were devoured had been sinners that were not meant to meet the heavenly gates at our future ascension. I spoke to the lord in a more private setting as to not make the others worry. Listening to him speak of the plague disappearing over time. Only asking that patience be used in this difficult time.

"2000, December 21st  
The wolves are relentless in their blood lust. We have tried everything to fend them off. Even with Vals experience in the forest he can't predict these monsters. The beasts are too stupid to walk into traps normally. All the twitching makes the traps spring early.

Mauling at cage wire siding to get inside instead of walking through the opening for the bait. making them useless for another try with the massive holes. 1 greedy beast always manages to inhale a huge pile of set out poisoned meat. Leaving none left for the other packs running about. At this point we can't spare any more food for the walking abominations.

The beasts now haunt all our dreams. The once nightly howls turning into ungodly screeches like nails on a chalkboard. I find myself no longer able to sleep. Everyone else being far too scared to leave or keep the homes unlocked. I never wanted them to lock their doors, but I do feel pity for the sleepless and have allowed them to make a few simple lock bars over the doors.

Val informing them to best make the bars over the door instead of low or hanging to the side. With how the wolves attack objects they love to bash at the lower areas with their heads. Giving the possibility they could shake the locks loose.

Marta wishes to try her hand in handling beasts, but I can't afford to lose her. Asking her to stay and patrol the town streets of the hairless screamers in protection of others. The snow has begun settling on our blessed Templegate. I beg this winter will be kind, but if the lord wishes to test us further I cannot argue.

"2001, January 1st  
the snows are heavy allowing nothing to grow for now. Despite the harsh cold on us it's even worse for the wolves with their bleeding sores. Marta tells me she found 5 more of the beasts frozen solid in the courtyard. Which I barely caught as I had been worrying of a greater threat.

I saw something among the bare trees before the sun rose. Black creatures skulking through the far woods. They walked like men yet had the eyes of red burning coal and a bulky frame. I hope they don't decide to plague us too.

* * *

Blake stopped reading at the end mark to throw more wood onto the fire. As the night went on it grew colder to the point Blake could see his breath.

"how cold can this desert get? The one time I want it nice and hot it turns into a freezer." Blake grumbled. Putting away the book after deciding he had enough reading for tonight. Pausing his movements as he heard the shuddering noise in the sky, a helicopter. The sight of the searchlight going over the trees having Blake get up to kick dirt onto the fire.

"they might have seen the fire I gotta get out of here." he thought, debating on going down to the forest floor. once swarming with wolves less than half an hour ago.

"can't stay here." he said to himself as he headed down. The helicopter growing ever closer with its searchlight.

He nervously swallowed as he headed back into the dark forest. A searing pain growing into his hurt leg. He let out a growl with grin teeth. Not getting far before stopping to lean against a tree. He took a few deep breaths to suck in the pain. Thinking about hes been through worse with nails through both hands.

Walking again got him a little farther the second time. Leaning against another tree to take a breather. Standing straight up at the sound of rustling. Blake carefully took a few steps from the tree. Attempting to get a better awareness of his surroundings. The overly quiet forest disturbed only by the wind blowing over the treetops. After hearing nothing more he slowly moved a few steps forward.

Jumping away from a open jawed wolf who bit down on the closest thing next to it. Repeatedly biting down on the metal shard Blake had been holding out. With one great shove he pushed it back enough for it to fall into the door. The wolf thrashing around till it finally got back onto its feet.

Blake seeing the wolf's back shine with fresh blood as its skin was scraped off in the thrashing. Blake froze with the blade held out for defense. The wolf wheezed, twitching its head in different turning directions as if trying to search where Blake was.

It gagged as it tipped its head back starting to let out whining screeches like the other one. Being stopped only by the choking on its own tongue. However the last thing Blake wanted was more wolves to be attracted.

"shut up!" he shouted with grit teeth. The wolf's attention caught as its head snapped down in a stiff jerk. It tried to growl,instead letting out a thick gurgle followed by a thick droop of drool out the sides of its mouth.

It lunged forward with a snap. Startling Blake into giving a hard swing. Hooking the metal shard into its head through the eye socket. Despite the injury the wolf wouldn't halt the snapping and thrashing of its jaws. Possibly mistaken on it having a hold on Blake instead of the other way around.

Blake froze up on what to do in his situation. Continuing to hold the accidentally hooked wolf as far away as possible while flinching at the foamy spit tossing from its jaws. The wolf finally stopping after the thrashing on the knife caused far too much damage inside its skull.

"ugh!" Blake spoke out in disgust as he needed to grab the wolf to pull his blade free. The handful of skin feeling slimy from bloody puss, tough cracking skin on top, but separated from the muscle so easily like the shell of a hard boiled egg.

Even so little as pressing on the skin made it peel off in chunks. Blake had already felt his hand sliding across the wolf's body 2 times from the skin separating along where he pushed. Finally getting the wolf off by shaking the knife from its skull.

"Christ." Blake spoke as he wiped the bloody slime on the nearest tree. Getting ready with his blade as he heard distant screeches.

"dammit. I need to get somewhere where I can make a fire." he thought as he ran in a direction away from the distant sounds.


	6. Confession

Blake stood with his back against a large tall boulder. Hiding from a few passing strangers walking with bright lights in searching. Seeing them pass he took a deep breath before continuing deeper into the darkness. Hearing the screeches of wolves getting closer behind him. The terrified screams followed by gunshots behind telling Blake just how close the wolves were getting to him.

"i just have to take my chances!" he thought. Despite all the armed men he needed fire desperately for protection.

He ran around a large rock face to quickly sit on the ground. Ripping up nearby tall grass along with gathering wood twigs. Fearfully working to make a fire as the sound of multiple things rushing through grass were moving toward him.

Just as he got the smallest fire going he lit up a large branch to make a torch. Swinging it behind him just as he hear a snarl. Turning just in time to scare a wolf back with the flaming torch. Glimpsing multiple wide open jaws full of rotting teeth.

The group of wolves backing away in almost a synchronized manner. Growling after snapping their jaws shut with a loud snap. Wolfs being so packed together when lunging for Blake they seemed like one hellish beast.

Blake swiped at them with the torch. Scaring the pack into breaking away from each other. Getting a good look at the disgusting beasts as they twitched around him. Bleeding cracked skin, little patches of fur. Sunken white eyes shriveled up to the point Blake wondered if they could see at all. The fire reflecting of the blood seeping from every little crack in the skin. Teeth black or broken from possibly attacking anything within reach.

One wolf took a snap at one of Blake's legs. Being scared back into another wolf with a wave of fire. The other wolf biting into the other by mistake of identifying as Blake. Ripping off a large half of the others skin. Starting a chain reaction of the others swarming the injured wolf in a mauling frenzy. Blood, meat and thick bloody slobber flying left and right from the twisting pile of screeching growls.  
Blake saw his chance in turning to run. Quickly followed by the wolves noticing the moving light.  
"dammit!" Blake spoke through gritted teeth as he ran. Seeing glints of reflecting eyes catching up with. Feeling one close at his heels he slammed the torch back to hit a wolf square in the side of its face. The creature letting out a chain of yelping screeches as it fled with a smoking face.

"i cant run, I have to face them!" Blake thought, feeling his chest constricting from the non stop running.

He stopped again with a swing of the torch. Scaring back the trailing beast. Watching each one carefully as they twitched around him. Staring with dried unblinking eyes.

"come on!" Blake yelled challenging with a step toward a few. One lunging to maul the torch as it was the closest thing. Releasing with a screech when it mauled all the way up to the burning half. Leaving the torch filled with bite marks.

"can these fuckers see anything?" Blake thought. The creatures seemed to know fire was bad as they avoided its heat when swung near them, however they attacked their own pack with little difference.  
"one way to know" Blake spoke to himself. He swung the torch to scare a group of wolves into one another. Each attacking at the touch of another into a mauling pile of bloodshed. The other half of the wolf swarm coming dangerously close as the torch became less near.

He swung the end of the branch to smash into one of the wolves skulls. Scaring another off with the torches fire crushing into its side.

"fuck off!" Blake snapped at the remaining wolves. Just barely dodging one snapping toward his stomach as he reflexively grabbed it by, what was left of, the scruff of its neck. Quickly pushing it away with the flaming torch to its chest as he felt its skin separating in his hand with the thrashing it was doing.

The torch making its thrashing worse as it flurried in jumps with its head swinging in all directions with angry snapping jaws. Even the torch wasn't stopping it as its chest slowly grew on fire. Beginning to use it as its own form of balancing when trying to force its way to Blake.

Blake began flinching away as the creatures spit splattered all over his face to the point his glasses were difficult to see through. Blake thought of a quick action in pushing the wolf back just enough to slam it into a few other wolves. Having them get a hold of its spine aggressively to rip the burnt wolf apart.  
He grew panicked at seeing his torch with an almost burnt out flame. The thrashing mixed with the wolfs seeping blood had burnt out most of the torch. In another risky move he threw the torch at the wolves to bolt for the nearby rock face. Jumping onto it to climb as the wolves rushed forward past the torch. Jumping up the rock wall to snap at Blakes legs.

He kicked one as it came close, knocking it back to land onto the remaining wolf pack. Unfortunately this one wasn't ripped apart like all the others who knocked into their members. He swallowed thickly as he looked down at the circling staring eyes.

"shit, now what?!" he questioned himself. He couldn't even see the ground from where he was. He had no idea where he could jump down to get a good running landing. Waiting till morning being a terrifying thought as his grip was already getting painful as he held onto the rock.  
Almost choking on his spit when two bright lights flashed onto him.

"don't you move or we'll shoot!" two strangers yelled as they run over. Blake looking down to see the eyes swarm off in the lights direction. He leapt off the rock with a painful landing, still painfully blinded with lights as well.

"hey don't-!" one started to yell before a wolf leapt to latch at his moving arm. Others swarming over to topple the two down. As Blake heard the screaming begin he ran off in the direction he faced first when on his feet. Carefully avoiding trees as he ran. His heart leaping into his chest when he heard the screams die off. Stopping to find the nearest tree he could to climb.

Going up one to a high thick branch he could lay on with no trouble. Catching his breath to stop the wheezing as he laid still. Watching the darkness below till he saw the reflected eyes swarm along his trail. Pausing around his tree with the sounds of sniffing followed by screeches and more growls.  
"bastards are relentless." Blake thought, watching them with a glare. Looking up when he heard gunshots over by a pair of far off flashlights wandering through the trees. Looking around quickly for whatever they were shooting at. The wolves below racing off toward their direction.

Blake let out a sigh of relief, laying his forehead against the branch to help regain himself. Looking up again to carefully remove his glasses in desperate need of a clean. Wiping the disgusting slobber off the glasses with his shirt before putting them back on.

"much better." he thought, seeing at full view again. Getting a long good look at his surroundings. Far out tops of trees and mountains in the distance. A smidgen of morning light peeking to turn the sky a lighter color just enough to see distant silhouettes. Looking up to see the sky still so very full of stars.  
"hi. … hope you're doing better than me." Blake spoke quietly to the sky. Thinking on if lynn and Jessica were watching or not.

"i bet your laughing at me being in this tree lynn. Just like the time I was swarmed by geese at the lake. Took you forever to get them away with the leftover drive through fries." he thought with a chuckle. The laughing slowly dying down to be taken over by building tears. He put both his hands together in a prayer like position. Setting the ends of both up against his face. Taking in slow deep breaths to fight back the tears rising. Feeling them gone he dropped his hand down.  
Staring down to the dark ground. Thinking of what his next move should be.

"i can't stay in this tree till morning. I'd be a sitting duck if those strangers spot me up here if the sun rises any higher. I can't go down with those wolves either." he thought. Swallowing thickly at the distant screams and screeches sounding off in the distance.

"how far up am I anyway?" he thought, looking back down. He felt at a branch above him till he felt a large pine cone. Yanking it off to hold away from himself. Letting it go to listen carefully for its sound. Waiting a bit longer than he expected before hearing the pine cone clatter below.

"definitely don't fall." Blake swallowed at the realization of how high he was. He looked back out to the far horizon to gaze across it. Trying his best to be patient in letting the time pass, but all he could think about was fleeing the area soon before actual light hit the whole sky. Constant reminders of why he shouldn't get down sounding off every few minutes. Either it being screams of pain or screeches of hunger.

As more and more light rose, Blake felt pressured to lower down the tree. Taking a deep breath as he carefully scanned the below darkness for any unblinking eyes. Seeing none, he cautiously made his descent. Stopping almost at every branch on his way when ever he heard some sort of noise. before realizing it was himself making the noises on the way.

Upon reaching the ground he stood against the trunk. Scanning his surroundings for anything again. Nervously walking out into the darkness with as little noise as possible. Hiding against another tree not far as he heard wheezing approaching.

"fuck, feel like i am being chased by nick and laird again." Blake thought at the memory of having not been so diligently tracked since them.

Blake went off with a bolt when he saw the wolfs shining eyes come a little too close. Finding a little relief that it was only a single wolf following now. He ducked and jumped over rocks, logs, and ditches to lose the wolf. Having no luck as the wolf remained right at his heels. Blake getting a scary shock when he fell down into a shallow river. Raising up to splash out onto the other side to continue his running. Hearing a splash not far behind him.

"fuck, fuck, fuck." Blake wheezed out. The asthma forcing him to look for a safe resting spot. Running to jump up onto a large boulder. Laying down at the top of it as he looked at the wolf running up. Blake having some time to rest while sounding like he would pass out any minute with all his wheezing. The wolf below sounding exactly the same with shaky desperate wheezes of air.

"yeah wolfie, me too." Blake sarcastically thought over the breathing issues. Glaring at it all the more when he heard it trying to screech out between its wheezes.

"hey! No, shut up!" Blake snapped at it through angrily grit teeth. Waving his hands at it in the hopes it would distract it into being quiet. Having no success in that he looked around for possibly anything to throw. Grabbing a handful of moss growing on the stone to toss down. Distracting the beast momentarily as the handful fell onto its head.

"shut up!" Blake snapped at it, throwing down a handful of small roots he ripped off next. The wolf wheezing down in confusion at the strange objects thrown at him. Looking up to try and see Blake a little too fast as it had its head twist a little backwards. Hearing multiple cracks as the wolf turned its head in searching while in the turned over position. Unable to see Blake from its line of sight it turned with its head twisting down into a more normal position before wandering off with a wheeze.  
"perfect." Blake thought, rubbing his head of a minor ache.

"now can I go 5 feet without a issue, please!" he mumbled sarcastically to himself while slipping down the large boulder.

"wonder if Vals having better luck. Probably." he grumbled to himself. Doing his best to silently walk through more darkness.

"psychopaths have all the luck around this twilight zone." he thought, momentarily looking up toward the starry sky past the tree silhouettes. Spotting another high edge he could camp on with a new fire. Running toward it optimistically as he grabbed fire materials along the way.

Climbing up with little annoyance with a sigh of relief at reaching the top. Being a good 10 feet off the ground with no way up but to climb. Starting up another fire against a wall that went even more higher up to a towering cliff edge.

"ill need a vacation after all this." he thought while rubbing two sticks together. Building up the sparks into a low warming fire.

"maybe a little more reading before I head out again." he thought, pulling out the book.

* * *

"2001 January 15th  
the beasts have been suffering great losses recently, but i am not comforted as much as I expected. Those shadowy demons growing in numbers within the forest. I have yet to tell anyone else about them, however I may soon have to.

"2001 February 23rd  
my people are growing desperate to survive. Were all holding up in the church hall with barrels of fire. Singing in chorus or reading of my gospel giving relief for a time from our hunger. Sleep being more manageable as the screeches of hunger from the wolves seem to have slowed.  
Their prowling of the town streets slowing as well following the disappearance of the shadows in the forest. God is all powerful and no demon can ignore his command to be sent away. Our patience may be finally paying off.

"2001 march 3rd  
some have tried making warm clothing from the wolves coats. Yet there is no fur on them with the skin being far beyond damaged with oozing infection. People have turned to eating the dead as we have run low on food.

Val somehow managing to convince many to hold out by eating tough roots. Hopefully my canned supplies don't get as desperately low or ill be forced to eat the disgusting things.

"2001, April 23rd  
the wolves have almost been driven off. Over half of the diseased pack killed with their bodies burned. They don't like the light as it hurts there eyes. Probably because they never seem to blink. The dead wolves we looked at had eyes as dry as raisins.

Val still demands that we move, but I see no purpose. The wolf plague is gone and soon I believe the crops will again flourish. Having Val give me some negative murmured words over the whole matter we all suffered through. I am sure though that the words were not really meant. Being something that will go away with the hard times. This must all be a test of our faith.

A recent message from the lord has told me to remove all outside technology's, excluding my radios allowing the spread of his word. Immediately after the command I handed down god's word. We destroyed the only tractor we had, the corded phones, digital watches, the machinery in our meat house. All gone in sacrifice for our lord's loving paradise in the end. Or at least half of it is, I kept a few things to barter for outside supplies too difficult to make.

There was many doubts spreading among my flock. I know how desperate they were to keep the technology's for food gathering. Marta needing to cast out a few who dared accuse me of hiding food. Like the voice of god needs to hide it. I obviously need to stay healthy and strong over all others.  
The disease among my flock has been spreading among all the doubters. I warned them that their faith had to stay strong if they wanted to prevail. I am beginning to feel that even one of my holy hands grows doubt over me and the lord."

"2001, June 10th  
the lord has again requested the burning of items. Not the valuables I have kept, but the marks of the beast. The markers of the outside world. Photo IDS, licenses, cards of any kind as they were used in the outer world for sinful gains or the tracking of the beasts cattle.

I told my followers who hesitantly gave me all they could. Most being burned right there in a pit of cleansing fire. Other cards used for money I also kept for buying supplies.  
The lord is happy with the cleansing I have done. I only hope I can offer more to the lord when he asks. I will forever be faithful to the end.

* * *

"and I thought Knoth was delusional before." Blake thought. Looking up to the sky for any light. Finding just a little more peeking at the horizon. Still a good many more hours before seeing any big changes.

"must be, like, 4 in the morning." Blake mumbled.  
"who needs a sleep schedule?" he thought with a yawn. Now that his chest was no longer squeezing him to suffocation he had to move on. Grabbing a large branch to light. Snuffing out the fire before he slowly headed down. Holding the flaming torch in his mouth to climb down easier.

"where should I go?" he thought, reaching the dirt. taking a few steps forward to slowly look in various direction. Stopping with a pained hiss.  
"goddamn little!" Blake hissed as he kicked away a cactus he walked into. Sweeping out the offending needles from his leg.

"are these things purposefully finding me?!" he grumbled, attempting to regather his bearings by the more lighted horizon.

"okay the sun rise is that way. So I should head that way and ill hit the river … or the city. Which evers first, I don't care." he talked to himself as if with another.

Walking on the lookout for any threats. His heart skipping a beat on nearby screaming followed by the hearable sounds of eating. A harsh reminder that being up high felt a whole lot different then being on the ground.

"find the river." Blake repeated in thought to keep himself calm. finding himself walking in a faster scared pace. Taking deep breaths to gather himself. Remembering what all the therapists said to him on how to avoid anxiety attacks. A pained knot growing in his stomach at remembering those offices smelling of sterile hospital cleaners.

Even after Jessica's funeral he couldn't escape the reminders. News talking about the incident, even more so after it was discovered to be no suicide.  
"Something about her neck not being broken right, or not bruised properly to have died from hanging." he remembered.

The police came to his house the next morning. blake having been interrogated by his parents knowing he was there that night broke down in tears about it. Police came to interrogate him too in an unfamiliar setting with some kind lady. Having to go over all the details for a second and finally a 3rd time at trial when he saw that man with the marked face in orange. Standing up to answer all the questions. Having the stressful feeling of not being believed as the trail went on.

Then came the tapes. Apparently the father kept a recorded diary on his thoughts. Especially the sexual ones. Many obsessing around Jessica that made Blake ill in the court. Halfway through them and the judge had Blake escorted out as they grew too dark for a child to hear. His guilt of not staying growing all the more as Loutermilchs intentions seemed so suddenly obvious.

By the end of it all, it felt justice wasn't served. The guilty man getting off on manslaughter with only serving 2 years. Having no other evidence to possible sex abuse on the body, or intent on killing Jessica. The man's supposed story being that Jessica was a troubled girl who attacked him on the stairs. In defense she was pushed down where she died accidentally. Fearing the law he set up the false suicide and meant nothing negative of it. The jury bought the mans words, seeing him as such a kind man who helped so many. It had to be just a simple slip up, who cared what he said on some personal home tapes. No other children stepped forward about any abuse. So they handed him a slap on the wrist.

Blake remembered feeling so hollow during the chaos after. Reporters swarming his house shouting labels of him being a liar or a victim. His parents constantly fighting under the pressure of being constantly on the news attention. The divorce was the straw that broke him for a time. Having him run away in the freezing snow to break down crying at a park 6 blocks away.

Lynn was playing around the grounds when she heard him crying in the colored tunnels. Meeting him inside to help him calm down. It'd been months since he saw lynn having been taken out for homeschooling by his protective parents. Lynn was the only one to help him for a long time before he was sent away.

His parents saw his breakdowns, all the anxiety attacks followed by hospital trips for serious asthma attacks. He was just getting into his teenage years when they shoved him into a health hospital. Staying in and out of therapy sessions his parents could hardly afford. He was never truly sure if those sessions helped him overcome his issues or if lynn helping him did.

At what was suppose to be his 2nd year of middle school he stood alone outside the new building. Feeling massive relief when lynn came to help with the huge adjustment. However, he was never truly accepted by his peers. Rumors spread about his mental hospitalization, being pulled from school, that court case all over the news. Getting glares or laughter from passing students as rumors twisted together. The one he despised most was that him and that disgusting monster were dating till a jealous spat arose.

He heard all the names from the sports teams. Not even allowed in the locker room when the others were there. Staying out till the bell rang and they were transitioning to other classes. Going in early to change got him pummeled and thrown out into the gravel. Constant prank calls were sent to his house, shouting obscene things or insults. The rumors did have many swarm as well. The girls he assumed did it because of the bad boy record. Losing interest fast when they realized he was as soft as a sponge inside.

Lynn did her best to help him. Sitting with him at every lunch, helping him fight all the abuse, happily accepting when he asked her to go with him to the various dances or school celebrations. Despite her reputation in the school being beyond repairable being with him, she didn't care. Focusing more on Blake being lifted enough to make it through the day.

All the bad days passing behind him when entering high school. The insults growing too old for anybody to use against him. With lynn by his side the girls stopped trying to use him for some gain. After everything cooled down his parents grew back together again. For a while things were looking up. Then his mom grew ill. Passing only a few months after she remarried his father. After that his dad just seemed to die inside. His time left wasint long after she went.

Blake stopped to wipe away the blinding tears. Sucking in deep breaths of air while trying to quiet his sniffling. He removed his glasses to wipe his arm across his eyes to take away the pooling tears.

"come on." he breathed in, replacing his glasses onto his face. Taking a few choked swallows as he wiped the tear streams from his face.  
"they wouldn't like seeing me cry like a big baby." he thought with a choked up sad chuckle. Trying to cheer himself up with minor success. Looking up when he felt more water land on his face. Rain beginning to fall across the forest. Blakes hopes slowly dying out with the flame on his torch. Even worse was his adrenaline wearing off to let his leg have burning pain around the bite.

"no use beating yourself up Blake. You were young, you didn't understand the situation." he remembered one therapist telling him. Him sitting there on that ugly brown leather chair.  
"why don't you go outside today, it's nice and sunny. You can play around in the fresh snow." the therapist spoke to him in that annoying cheerful tone. They always made him feel like he was too young to understand death, too young to understand depression. As if him being sad was just to get attention.

Always avoiding talk of death whenever he wanted to speak about Jessica. Feeling so strange when he was practically scolded for it. Like Jessica's existence wasn't important and should be forgotten. Trying to steer the conversation to something more "cheerful" like pen colors.

"lynn and Jessica wouldn't let me be like this. I can make it, I can get back, I'll let everyone know about this land of horror so I can watch it burn." he swallowed, looking at the burnt out torch in his hand. Tossing it into a puddle forming by his feet. Stepping with a hard wince at the pain shooting up.  
Wandering forward with little thought to his surroundings. The screams all seemed to have stopped as far as Blake could tell. Without a single glimpse of a wolf from the darkness.

"please let me find something up ahead. How far could a river be?" he thought in exhaustion. Kicking a cactus out of the way just as he barely avoided walking into it.  
"i don't mean a damn cactus either." he grumbled. Holding his pained leg a little to try and distract away from it.

Time seemed to pass so slowly as he walked. The rain stopping some time ago yet no sunlight has come up. Blake beginning to question what time it could be. Nervously considering that maybe he was accidentally walking in circles the whole time.

"should I go back?" Blake thought with a twisting stomach. His swollen leg sending up waves of pain.  
"do I even know where back is?" he continued, looking behind him toward more darkness.

"i can't be this lost." he mumbled, looking around in vain. Barely able to see a few trees nearby. He sighed with a few steps forward to continue on. Jumping when he heard a noise. He spun his head around to look. Staying still as he waited for any other sounds to hear. Not hearing anything more he slowly turned back to face forward.

"probably just a bird or something. Other things live here too besides the wolves." Blake reasoned to himself. A huge sense of being watched growing to make the hairs on his neck stand up.  
"it's nothing." he repeated, heading forward.

A hand suddenly grabbing the back of his collar to yank him to the floor. His skull slamming into the dirt causing momentary dizziness. Blake pushed to stand up to his feet, stopping at the quick sharp feeling of a blade pushed against his throat.

"wait, wait, wait!" Blake shouted in panic. His eyes locked shut in terror at not wanting to see his demise. Ready to beg for his life while laying frozen at the dirt.

"fallen?" the voice spoke above him, the knife being removed from his throat. Blake opened his eyes to see Vals bright blue ones looking down at him. Her body covered in thick mud mixed with bunches of twigs and leaves. Leaving no question as to how she so easily snuck up on him.

He let out a breath of relief at the sight of a familiar face. Carefully sitting up while catching his breath. Slowly recovering from his mini heart attack when he looked back at Val.

"what did you do that for?!" he questioned, anger bubbling up into his tone. Before Val could answer they ducked back into the dirt from the bright flashlights scanning over. The armed men walking closer in a search party fashion of a long row beside each other.

"i thought you were one of them. Follow me close." Val whispered to Blake. Carefully walking off while remaining low to the dirt. Blake followed without a word before stopping after 2 feet.

"we cant stop here." Val whispered urgently.

"i cant walk like this." Blake hissed in pain.

"why? What's wrong?" Val questioned, examining over him.

"a wolf took a chunk out of me." he whispered, showing the large bloody spot on his leg.

"can you follow me for at least 10 steps?" she asked, carefully looking toward the strangers looming closer.

"like I have a choice." Blake spoke through gritted teeth as he saw how close the men were getting. Carefully he followed Val while they avoided the lights. His leg shaking from the excruciating pain. When they finally stopped he dropped to his knees. Landing in a thick mud and cursing at it. Trying to get himself out of the mud until Val stopped him.

"lay in it." she told Blake. Getting a look of disbelief from him when he looked at her.  
"its freezing! I am not laying in frost covered mud!" he whispered loudly.

"you can't move, so you have to hide. Cover yourself with mud so they won't see you. They'll pass over and we can move later." Val told him as she started covering him with mud without permission.  
"fuck its cold!" Blake shivered as Val forcefully pressed him entirely into the thick mud.

"shh, they're coming over." she shushed him as she carefully laid on top of him. Blake getting a spike of anxiety as Val laid on top of him. His body tensing up at the unwanted body over him. Breathing becoming difficult at his chest tightening up. The cold not helping his body relax in anyway either.

Blake tried his hardest to stop shivering with the men coming so close. Holding his breath when the lights shown over them. Blake just seeing how many thinks Val had covered herself in. practically having a whole bush of tumbleweeds covering over her. Mud covering her so thickly only her eyes shone through. Those disappeared as well when both of them closed as the strangers got close.

He looked up at the men with held breath. Flashlights waving over them with one man standing right by both their heads. Blake studied over the closest mans outfit. Trying to figure out where they may have come from. There were many reports he had done in the past about various police or attack organizations. Stopping to stare at a recognizable patch with a strange M of white on blue.  
The longer he stared the more he recognized it from some place, but where?

"i know that symbol." he absentmindedly spoke out loud. Causing Val to claw into his shoulder to make him quiet. Blake realizing his big mistake when the men heard him.


	7. Déjà vu

"wicker, uh sir. We found one of the survivors." a lower solder spoke to the higher with the crooked jaw. Standing at the entryway of the large fire lit tent as the lower was too nervous to approach. Sitting at a desk with a large map was the higher officer sticking pins attached to strings over certain areas.

"the reporter?" the high officer spoke through gritted teeth. Grabbing a hold of his bottom jaw to force it into place with a loud pop. Adjusting it further with a crackling noise. The noise having the lower wince away.

"no sir. It was one of the test subjects. The 2nd red marker who led the second group." the man spoke, not wanting to get to close by the high officer.

"the genetic freak." wicker growled.

"what do you want?!" he snapped at another soldier arriving. causing the other to pause his entry.

"i-i brought your meal sir." the other answered. After being waved in the food deliverer carefully crept in to set the plate by his side. Juicy chicken thighs, potatoes, and spinach. Wicker grabbed the chicken first to rip right into it with the stronger half of his jaw. Carefully chewing with his head tilted to the side for food to stay in place.

The sound of a radio buzzing forcing him to stop with a groan. All knowing well who it was that was calling. The two lower men left in a nervous hurry without even requesting permission to. Wicker roughly swallowed his barely chewed food to delicately answer. A headache growing in his skull already in expectation of the voice.

"since you haven't reported I assume you've found nothing!" the female voice roared over the radio.  
"we have found a survivor, I just got the news. Its that 2nd red marker, it managed to survive." he spoke, gritting his teeth by the end as his jaw moved out of place.

"so what have you been doing about it? Are you hunting on the field right now? By the sounds of the fire you must be lazing in your tent!" the voice scoffed.

"i was-" the officer started, being interrupted by the female.

"let me see, a experiment and a man running from Murkoff soldiers. Where have I heard this before. Could I be feeling deja vu from the huge mistake that was Jeremy Blair and later a same mistake committed by a John Barker." she spoke in a rhetorical question as a reminder. Wicker going silent as his heart dropped.

"i won't be a failure like those idiots. Blair could barely contain mount massive and john was practically an experiment himself." wicker stated, trying to gain confidence in the higher.

"just like you. I remember you made a mistake before when guarding a lab. That snapping jaw of yours makes me sick along with feeling incredible doubt you'll do anything right." the female spoke with disgust changing into aggravated disappointment.

" No, no, I'll get things done! I'll go out right now with a party and have them by morning! I'll fix it, I promise nothing will get out." wicker spoke with desperation at proving his worth. Knowing that his future and life were on the line.

"you better if you want that CEO promotion. You used to be the head of your area till that lab failure. If you mess this up you might as well burn yourself at the stake. I demand results by morning." the female voice snapped. The radio swiftly cutting off before wicker could get another word out.

He stared down at his meal in silence. Rage burning to the surface in a furious yell as he swept his food far off the table. The sound of crashing glass on the dirt causing the camp to go on edge.

"get everyone here! NOW!" wicker roared as he exited his tent. Forcing those sleeping to wake as he kicked there ribs or legs. Tossing food from those still eating to force them in line. The rest scrambling on their own into designated groups and lines.

"not only do we have a rat reporter out there, now we've found out the 2nd red marker freak is out there too! From here on they are our top priority! I want bodies and no ones aloud to sleep, eat, or take any sort of breaks!" wicker shouted over the large mass of soldiers mixed with workers.

"what about clean up?" one from the demolition group spoke.

"forget it, for now. If that reporter makes it back or the freaks discovered. Murkoffs already halfway in the grave. If none of us find them then we're all gonna have our heads in the guillotine. Remember all those past workers now in jail for a lifetime for crimes against humanity because two idiots let two experiments get out to the public TWICE.

I won't let that happen, we're not going to be failures. Half will get into search party's, blow up every little mine and cave they could hide in. burn the whole forest if you have too. We cant let them reach civilization.

The other half will move with me to the blockade. We'll make it bigger and longer with a team of builders. Pack up immediately I want all this over by morning. NO EXCEPTIONS!" wicker spoke with a commanding tone.

"sir this land is huge with a whole catacomb of various mines and cave systems. It'll probably take us a week just to close off all the-" a worker started, interrupted by the loud bang of a hand gun blasting a bullet through his skull.

"i wont tolerate hesitance or slack! Now go or Murkoff will get bullets for the rest of you!" he threatened as he waved his gun toward the shocked crowd. The large group running in all directions to grab or pack what was needed.

* * *

Blake winced as Vals nails dug into his shoulder. Sure that a little blood was drawn from the grip.

"did you say something?" the officer standing inches away spoke to another nearby.

"no, why?" the other asked. Both going quiet as the radio sounded with static.

"wickers given new orders. Regroup and form bigger search party's at the camp with new directions. Demolition men will also be joining scouts. Other half of all workers will move the camp to the blockade." the radio spoke out the information.

"whoa, wonder what caused the moving party." the 2nd solder asked.

"who do you think, probably little miss sunshine calling. We better get moving before wicker bites our heads off at camp." the first spoke with an annoyed groan. When the two walked off out of site Blake grew increasingly uncomfortable at Vals body being over him. Quickly standing with a rush of pain to get away from her.

"you shouldn't be speaking when trying to hide. It's a good way to get something through your skull." Val spoke to him in a frustrated tone.

"yes, but, but I know that symbol." he said.

"It was all over the news with the biggest story ever. A company called Murkoff doing mass experimentation on people. Turning them into weapons of war with torture and psychological manipulation. They were outed a couple of years ago by an ex worker and a mental patient. They escaped the asylum Murkoff was experimenting in and escaped a false town Murkoff created." Blake thought as everything flooded to him.

"They were able to releasing so many of their classified documents. Showing gruesome videos, written records, classified tapes from so many of the Murkoff heads. Pandora box was opened after that. the whole thing. More records were leaked, more Murkoff buildings were exposed. All over the world these places were being hunted out. It was the biggest crime against humanity any country had seen. Even the UN was getting involved after places were found in other countries.

The worker who leaked the records, Waylon I think. He got into a huge debate himself over the freedom of the insane patient he escaped with. That went on for months and after a few years everything was locked down, whistle blowers hidden, and left to cool off. Guess they didn't get rid of Murkoff completely." he continued in thought. The logo still burning in his brain. The pain of knowing it from somewhere else, but not being sure of where exactly. He was trying so hard to remember where, but couldn't with his memory being so clouded. His memory did keep returning to Jessica, but there seemed no reason to connect the two.

"if it can't help us, it's best we find some shelter and look at that leg." Val spoke with disinterest on the symbol subject.

" but this whole thing is bad, this thing is huge! It's not just about ..." Blake trailed off before stopping. Realizing that Val was right. The knowledge of it being Murkoff not changing their situation. Only being more intimidated now by who is hunting them.

"what happened after I left?" Val asked him.

" … i-i saw a helicopter and ran to hide someplace else. I ran into some wolves once the sun was down. One got my leg before they were distracted on those strangers wandering around." Blake explained with half truths. He mainly wanted to get away from Val when he left.

"hm. Maybe the wolves will distract them. The next shelter I know of is far. I can help carry you there." Val said looking out to the forest then back to Blake.

"i, uh-" Blake thought, debating on taking Vals help and whether or not he could make it their in the first place. A sudden memory coming to mind when he remembered both were covered in mud. He faced away from Val with a nervous swallow.

"uh … are … are you wearing any clothes under that mud?" Blake asked, his voice nervously locking up. He could have just looked and seen for himself, but he rather not. It would have taken a moment anyway with the pitch black dark.

"yes, mud would have stuck better without, but misplacing clothing would be a bigger hassle not worth it." she stated. Getting a breath of relief from Blake.

"i really don't think I can walk very far." Blake spoke honestly.

"This makes traveling by night impossible. Cant have a torch becoming a giant signal to the stalkers. No torch leaves us to the wolves. There's no good shelter near here either. Your leg leaves very little possibility of travel as well." Val said, speaking more toward herself at the end. With Blakes paranoia making him nervous at the thought of Val possibly abandoning him or putting him out of his misery like a horse with a lame leg.

"i can still climb, its how I got away from the wolves." he said to try help their current situation.

" how high can you go if you can? There is another shelter nearby. But it needs a bit of walking and climbing. It's not a straight climb up a rock face. You'll have to go over avalanche derbies. Many fallen trees, rocks, shifting dirt. If you can't even walk then your leg will give out over the first tree." Val spoke.

"i climb better than I can walk. Going over trees won't be as bad for me." he spoke with as much confidence as he could. The two going deathly quiet as the howls of wolves echoed through the forest. Some going one after another with over 7 long howls being heard.

"sounds like we don't have a choice really. We need shelter and you'll have to get up there no matter what." Val said as she walked over to a fallen tree. Looking down it to settle on a large branch to rip off.

"here, easy to use for walking or running. or if you need to beat a wolf off you." Val said half joking with a small smile.

"thanks." Blake mumbled, not exactly enjoying the joke. as he adjusted the large branch as a crutch to carefully walk behind Val.

"how far will we walk?" he asked.

"we need to find the large river first. Then we follow it down to a large pond. A little up from the pond is the pocket made from the avalanche. Its high and unreachable by the wolves. Getting to the river alone will take around 15 minutes, then the pond will take half an hour at our current walking pace. We absolutely cannot stop either. If the wolves scent your blood they'll be upon us in an instant." Val spoke with a warning tone. Blake nodded, getting worried at how long they'd be traveling. The crutch helped only so much with each step still shooting up a bolt of pain.

By the time they found the river Blakes whole leg to the hip felt on fire. The searing pain making him both sick and lightheaded. He stopped to lean on his crutch at the river's edge. Breathing heavily through his sickness to try and continue walking. Val stopped as she saw him no longer following. She thought for a moment at seeing Blakes distress.

"rest your leg in the water. It'll numb it and hide the scent of blood." she told him. Blake slightly nodded before slowly getting to one knee and putting his leg into the freezing water. The burning slowly went away, but the sickness was getting worse.

"how are you feeling?" she asked at seeing no improvement with him.

" uh … tired, in pain." he grumbled with exhaustion. Not wanting to mention anything about his sickness.

Val brought out her small bag to dig for something. Taking out a small pouch from it to open in her hand. She pulled out a few long shoots from a plant of sorts. Sitting down beside him to be at level with him.

"eat these." she told him while holding out the shoots to him.

" … what are those?" Blake asked.

"its pieces of wild lettuce. They're good at killing pain." she said, continuing to offer them. Blake swallowed at the thought of them being poisoned. He carefully accepted them despite that. Being so sick and in so much pain not making him care too much at the moment. He took a bite out of one with the taste causing him to gag.

"don't spit it out!" Val said urgently. Blake roughly swallowed it down before gagging some more. Almost vomiting at a few points before roughly swallowing the taste away.

"god that's awful." Blake coughed.  
"It's like eating a bowl of liquid grass and lemon juice." he coughed again.

"yes, but its super strong in handling pain. Both those sticks will help you handle the rest of the way." she reassured him in continuing to eat.

He thickly swallowed before just biting huge chucks off to swallow as quickly as possible. Finishing one stick as he stopped to keep his stomach down. Taking deep breaths to finish off the last one. He took a few handfuls of water from the river to spit out the bitter flavor staining his mouth.

"we'll wait a few more moments, then the medicine should kick in. you wont feel like you need the crutch anymore, but you shouldn't walk without it." she said as she tied the mini pouch shut. Stuffing it back into the pouch at her hip.

"ugh, I just want to get there." Blake groaned as he carefully stood. His leg being fully numbed from just the freezing water.

"alright, if you feel more pain. Tell me as that might mean your legs broken." Val informed him as she walked ahead.

"wait!" Blake whispered at the sight of flashlight beams. The lights searching over the tree trunks across the river. Blake ducking down with Val in the shrubbery at the river's edge. A gunshot ringing out, then another, and other. A cry of pain ringing out with loud growling taking over as one flashlight dropped to the floor. A few more gun shots followed by more screams as the sound of ripping meat echoed. Growls and shrieking heard far across the loud water.

"i think it's best I forget the crutch." Blake said as they both nervously hid. The sounds of bushes shifting being heard as a wolf slithered through to the water. Wheezing and hacking with eyes reflecting in the dark. Looking up and down to the water as if confused. Biting at the water instead of drinking like a normal canine. Stopping as it choked on one mouthful of water.

More wolves joining to do the same. Only one or two not seeming confused at the mechanics of drinking. Others going to far as to dunk their heads before rising again into a choking fit of coughing. A loud shrieking rang out far down the river. Having the wheezing wolves skitter away in a twitching shuffling pace.

"were going to have to run as much as we can. Their hunting around here, it's only a matter of time before a wolf spots us." Val said back to Blake before cautiously getting up to move. Blake nodded as he followed right behind.

Running the entire way felt like years had pass. Stopping at every shrieking howl or to hide at any shifting bushes. Luck turning in their favor as rain began to pour. The water washing away their tracks from Murkoff. While hiding there scent from the hunting wolves. Blakes wheezing getting to the point he couldn't hide it anymore. The heavy sound of rain hiding that as well.

Val found the large avalanche slide and pointed Blake to a thin dark opening at the top. The pile long having settled with trees already growing from the dirt. The fallen trees eaten mostly by termites with the rocks buried solidly into the surrounding dirt.

Val started up the steep slope first to help Blake over the higher hurdles. The solid dirt turning to sliding mud. Having Blake slide a few times with pain shooting up his leg again. All the running tore his leg more till it started conquering the pain killer. Blake was helped up the final short wall edging separating them from the entrance. As soon as he was inside the dry cave he sat down to rest his leg. Hearing Val walk around in the darkness as she tore something from the walls.

He saw glimpses of her as she sparked two rocks together over a pile of vines. Getting a small fire going after the fifth strike. She grabbed more vines growing in between the cracks to throw on the fire.  
"time to look at that leg." she spoke at Blake. He swallowed his stomach down. He knew she had to treat it with how bad he now saw it in the light. Distrust however was still heavily fueling his paranoia. Half his pant leg by the shin was stained by the red blood. A large hole in the fabric barely showing the extent of the bite.

He tensed as Val came close to roll up his pant leg. Examining the large wound with a grave look. The wound dripping blood, a deep chunk missing with the surrounding area swollen with bright red coloring like a red pepper.

"did you treat this at all?!" Val exclaimed.

"no, I didn't think it was this bad! It didn't hurt for a while." Blake answered.

"this needs serious attention. I need stronger supplies then what I have to keep infection away. Lucky you didn't bleed out." Val huffed, looking into her bag with frustration.

"can't you just stitch it shut?" he asked, still thinking the wound was not as serious as Val made it out to be.

"with what those wolves eat your lucky it hasn't developed rot by now. I can temporarily treat it with some plants, but it has to be left open till tomorrow morning when I can find something stronger." she explained, going over to a nearby large rock. She pulled out various herbs to pile into the middle of the rock. Getting up again to collect a handful of water to spread over the pile. Sitting down by it while grabbing a small rock nearby. Carefully grinding the pile down into a thick paste. Scooping it all into her hand to bring it to Blake. Smearing it down the wound with little thought about being gentle.

"geeze, what are you doing?!" Blake yelped in pain as Val forcefully packed the paste deeply into the wound.

"i have to set it in deep to block the blood in. it will also stop infection from festering on the surface. I need stronger stuff to help heal it, along with getting this swelling down. The painkiller should keep you till afternoon tomorrow. try to actually sleep till then." Val spoke as she stood to wash her hands in the pouring rain. Blake letting out a grumble at being told to sleep.

"let me look at your hands too. They should have healed well if you didn't touch them." she said while flicking the water off her hands.

"their doing fine. Just leave them alone and wrapped. I can't afford to mess up these bandages." Blake spoke with a sigh. He just wanted to be left alone.

"just let me see, I won't touch." Val spoke with a gesture for him to show his hands out.  
"no." he replied firmly.

"your like a child. Just let me see then I can give you some food." Val growled.

"i am not a damn kid and I don't have to do anything! … what food?" he questioned, making sure his food bag was still on him.

"i found a group of blackberry bushes. I have a heavy bag full that can fill us both. I can try and get more food while i am out tomorrow while collecting things for your leg." Val explained as she pulled out a heavy looking bag from her hip pouch. Blake stared at the bag with his stomach growling at the thought of being full after who knows how long.

"just don't touch them." he grumbled as he carefully unwrapped his hands.

"5 year olds give less fuss then you about wound care." she chuckled while looking over his hands.  
"their healing fine. Should only be a scar left after a week from now. Still don't know how you got those. Marta got you while you hanged from a window?" she joked with a chuckle as she sat by the fire.

"no, laird had nick crucify me with nails." Blake spoke out before realizing what he had mentioned.

"laird, the scalled?! You were with them?!" Val exclaimed as she jumped to her feet to get away from Blake.

"I'm not sick! I was in there, but I was chased! I am not sick!" Blake spoke quickly to calm her down.  
"how do you know?! When did you meet the scalled?! Were you touched?!" Val continued with paranoia in her tone.

"no, no, that's why I took the medicine! I've been taking it daily. It stops me from getting sick and since I took it right after possibly being infected I should be healthy after a while. I just have to make sure I take it." Blake explained quickly, doing his hardest to convince Val he wasn't a walking plague like the scalled.

"how can you be so sure?!" she questioned.

"i know what the disease is. Were taught about … diseases, like this. Symptoms, signs, and how they're treated. If caught early enough these pills will get rid of it. Knoths been taking them to keep himself alive, but also spreading it around. Besides it can't spread like a cold like through sneezing or sharing food." Blake explained as he took out the pill bottle and rattled it a bit.

"how does it spread?" Val continued questioning. Leaving Blake now in an awkward spot.  
"weeeelll, it can only be transferred by certain … close … sexual contact." Blake started awkwardly and half mumbled by the end.

" oh, … can you tell if I have it?" she asked a little more calmly then before.

"i don't think so, you don't seem to have any symptoms. Infected develop things like rashes, skin sores, general feeling of being sick like a fever and feeling exhausted. I can give you a pill bottle too I have enough to last us both 2 months. By then it should be cured, … if its been caught in time." Blake spoke as he held out a bottle. Val hesitantly taking it from him and looking over it with a glare at remembering the familiar object.

"i saw him handling these all the time. Always told us they "helped him concentrate"." Val growled.  
"I've been taking two a day. I don't know if its the right amount though, I might be overdoing it." Blake mentioned as he looked at his own bottle.

"i never saw how many he took. He kept them pretty hidden from everybody. Only me, Marta, and the delivery boys knew about them." Val sighed as she took two of the pills. Blake taking his own two pills with minor relief at no longer needing to tiptoe around the subject anymore.  
"did any of you know exactly what they did?" he asked.

"i was suspicious. I didn't believe they were for concentration, but I didn't know what else they could be for. My mother warned me certain plants could cause addiction. My best guess was something along those lines." she said while packing the pills into her bag of herbs. She sat down again to open the large bag of blackberry's by the fire. Setting them down in between her and Blake. Both grabbing their own handful to start eating from the bunch.

Blakes eating was getting slower as he felt fuller, but not for that reason. The illness he felt earlier was worsening. Breathing through his last handful to get it down. He knew he'd need all of it to get better.

"I've probably lost half my weight during this whole thing." he thought, swallowing his last mouthful.

"want to rest with me by the fire?" Val asked while packing away the empty bag. Earning a groan from Blake at the question.

"why do you always want me to sleep with you, why?!" he demanded to know.  
"i sleep better by someone. … sleeping alone leaves you to being grabbed in the night." Val answered quietly.

"how do you know I wont do anything?" Blake glared at her.

"your not that kind of person." Val stared back with a smile. Blake swallowed at that as he looked away for a moment. Considering his options while going over safety reasons not to.

"just don't sleep too close and don't touch!" he stated seriously. After getting a nod from Val he breathed out nervously before carefully getting up to lay by the fire. With Val laying only two feet away with her back toward him. He watched her for a short time till a yawn he had broke it. Turning to stare at the ceiling before slowly falling to sleep.

He awoke to a smack on the arm. Feeling as if he was covered by a layer of heat mixed with sweat. He slowly opened his eyes to seeing Val up by him.

"get up." she told him. Throwing a small pebble at his arm.

"what, why?" he groaned sickly.

"you want to get clean don't you?" she answered as she pulled off a flake of dried mud from her dress. Tossing the piece at him before going out. Blake looked down at himself to see all the leftover mud from the night. The rain didn't exactly clean them, only shifted the mud into deeper body crevices.  
He groaned as he slowly got up. A heat wave flashing over his body with sweat building across his skin. He stumbled against the wall from lightheadedness with the world spinning around.

"fuck, I cant be getting sick." he thought. Standing up straight with a groan of deep breath.

"splashing my face with water mite help." he thought, slowly making his way out. Val already started her way down.

With rest and pain killer his leg no longer felt like a burning glass shard stabbing it with each step down. The bright daylight making the climb down much easier as well. He followed the small groove in the bushes he saw Val walk through earlier. Reaching the large pond with shallow water at its edges. He considered taking his clothes off for bathing until Val was seen near by.

"my clothes need a lot of washing anyway." he thought, only setting his bagged stuff to the side. carefully going into a deeper area of water up to his chest. Scrubbing away all the caked on mud along with whatever was layered on him.

"haven't felt this clean in ages." he sighed while scrubbing his head. Stopping from curiosity on what Val was doing around the water's edge.

"What are you doing?" he shouted to her across the water.

"collecting plants. They grow all along this water." she shouted back while picking things from bushes. He nodded while turning to look at the water. The world spinning again as he did. Even the cool water was unable to wash away the sickness building in him.

"i cant be getting sick. i cant be getting sick." he repeated in thought.

"the pills should have taken care of this. I can't get any infections." he thought, worrying about what could possibly be wrong. Especially after last night when Val discovered he got near the scalled.  
"maybe all those pills are expired. Would explain why I haven't OD on them or seen any symptoms." he thought. Slowly going under the water in an attempt to cool off again. Gaining a few mouthfuls of water to ease the feeling of cotton mouth developing. Coming up a few moments later for a breath and moving wet hair from his face.

He jumped with a spin of his head toward a large splash of water. Seeing nothing but rippling water that was only disturbed again by Val rising from below the surface.

"what are you doing now? Collecting more plants?" Blake asked with curiosity followed by mild caution.

"getting clean, why so interested in what I do?" she asked back with a smirk. Blake rolled his eyes as he looked away, looking back toward Val with an unamused look. Only to immediately look away again at the sight of Val undressing. He refused to face her when he walked out of the water to head back.

"where are you going?" Val asked casually while removing her final bit of clothing.

"I'll just wait in the cave. I am clean, just need to dry off now." he spoke nervously with an excuse. Not wanting to stick around Val any longer.

"I'll be there soon to fix your leg." she spoke in a cheerful tone that made Blake even more nervous.  
"better come back wearing clothes." he mumbled under his breath while walking. The climb back being much more difficult than earlier. Beginning to feel like he lost half his body weight in sweat despite little exertion. He wiped his face with his still damp sleeve. Unhappy about most him being dry from the burning sun outside. He'd rather stay soaking wet in the cool cave.

Blake swallowed roughly as he sat down from exhaustion. Rubbing his throat to help ease the burning itch developing. Coughing in an attempt to ease the itch making things feel worse. Feeling the cold wall at his back he turned to fully lay against it for relief. Finding himself slowly drifting off under his fevered sickness.

He found himself surrounded in suffocating darkness again. Hearing many whispers going on in the darkness with a feeling of being watched. He tried to speak but no sound left his lips. A burning sensation growing over his skin having blisters form. Growing till they painfully popped the clear liquid all over him. The liquid boiling his skin into sliding off.

He cried and panicked over the sight in terrified silence. Attempting to run to find help, water, somebody. He was growing desperate in his search. Stopping in his tracks as he saw rotting corpses rise from the darkness. Backing up only got him a few steps till he saw reaching rotting arms behind him. Rotting corpses growling and gurgling out mouthfuls of blood as they closed the circle around Blake.

Just as he was being grabbed and eaten he awoke in a terrifying scramble to his feet. Yelping as a shock of pain went up his injured leg having him fall onto his knees. Val standing near by with a look of concern over him. He was covered in sweat stains from the fever practically boiling him. His skin coated in a layer of the same liquid. His throat being far too much in pain to swallow even spit.

"your not doing so well." Val spoke with a gentle tone.

"i am fine." he barely got out with a coughing fit following right behind.

"you have a fever." she stated to him.

"no, no, just hot from the weather. I'll be fine once it gets dark." he said. Swallowing hard multiple times with his stinging throat.

"you're sick." she spoke, not believing Blakes excuses at all.

"i-i cant be sick. I- I am not, its- its not- not one of the scalled." he sickly stuttered with difficulty on finding the proper words.

"i know, I've seen this before. Many of my children had it once." Val spoke gently as she had Blake lay back down.

"let me look at your leg. If i am right it won't look very pretty." she said while rolling his pant leg up.  
"hm." she hummed with a glare.

"it's not what I expected it to look. The swellings still there like it should be, but the trauma isn't nearly as bad. Were you hurt anywhere else?" she asked.

"i got bit on my arm, but its not like my leg." he mentioned. Earning a glare from Val at the mention of another untreated wound.

"which arm?" she growled. Blake holding out the bitten arm with a hiss of pain after Val yanked it forward to roll up the sleeve.

The arm being covered with small gashes, holes bitten deeply all over the skin turning it a dark bruising purple. Some areas turning black as it resembled shredded hamburger meat. The swelling being so bad it was probably blocking the blood flow.

"idiot!" Val shouted at him as she shoved his arm back.

"i didn't know it was this bad! A chunk wasn't torn out like my leg. I can't even feel it!" Blake spoke with worry as he examined his arm.

"that's because the meats dying from trauma. I need to get the swelling down if you want to keep that arm." she said while quickly looking through medicine pouch.

"keep it ..." he swallowed nervously at the words. Fearing that ignoring the wound may have just cost him his arm.

"you can fix it right?!" he swallowed fearfully at the possible answer.

"if I gather fast enough. Make sure the fire doesn't go out. It'll be very important in helping you." she breathed out while throwing more vines onto the fire before leaving. Blake swallowed as he looked over at the small fire. Looking around to grab whatever vines he could reach and toss onto the fire. Becoming worried as all the movement was making the world spin. Followed by double vision making things worse. He swallowed followed by deep breathing to keep his stomach from coming up on him.

"fuck." Blake spoke through a coughing gagging fit.

He laid by the fire to watch it. Closing his eyes tightly when the fast moving flames were not going well with the spinning vision. The darkness again washing over him.

yep, this was all secretly a escape sequel. hehehheh.


	8. Sickness

"well, have you found anything?!" wicker yelled at the search party's who returned.

"n-no sir-" one in a party stuttered.

"no?! Then why the fuck are you here?! Your wasting time being here!" wicker roared at them.

"w-we need to rest and eat. We can't-" the same one spoke again.

"you can't work your not useful!" wicker spoke before shooting the worker through the skull.

"none of you seemed to learn the first time that I wont accept failure! The remaining CEO is pissed about this and she won't hesitate to throw us all to the wolves! Don't come back! No eating or sleeping here unless you don't want to wake up! Maybe lack of both will motivate you to get this done faster." he growled, adjusting his jaw midway.

"get moving!" he roared, scaring the groups into fleeing back into the forest.

Wicker rubbed his head to calm himself. until seeing the shot body made his blood boil. He kicked it multiple times with another shot fired into the bodies ribs. Already he felt like he was on the brink of a mental meltdown.

The CEO thoroughly chewing him when he failed the task after morning came. Demotion she repeatedly told him. Commanding him to put someone else in charge, but he wouldn't. He smashed that radio with refusal to accept the punishment. He would succeed and no one will find out he was a lower rank then over half the workers he yelled at.

"No one's going to kick me down from the CEO pedestal that i deserve." he thought. Heading into his tent to look over the highly detailed land maps. Marking every different elevation, cave systems, cracks crevices to rivers and ponds.

"have to be by the water. Cant survive the heat without it." he growled at the map.

* * *

Blake was woken by Val helping him sit up against the wall.  
"wake up, you need to drink something." she said to him. The words just getting in his fevered mind.

"what?" he spoke confused.

"here." she said, carefully handing him a chunk of cactus. Blake taking a moment to study the thing handed to him.

A rounded cactus piece with the spines removed and the plant hollowed to make a cup for the steaming liquid inside. A dark liquid with the lettuce shoots he had yesterday swirling in pieces along with other leaves he didn't recognize.

"what's in this?" he asked.

"wild lettuce, lavender, pumpkin leaves, mint and honey. It's a tea that you have to finish fast." she told him.

"so, what does it all do?" he asked, swirling the strange tea. Blowing on it to cool it for a sip. Getting an awkward amount of flavor with a hint similar to lemon from the shoots.

"tastes better than it was." he thought about the shoots, quickly swallowing the mouthfuls.

" lettuce is the painkiller that will keep you through the night. Lavender with help you sleep and get your nausea down so you won't vomit. Pumpkin leaves will handle the fever and swelling. The mint will soothe your sore throat. With the honey just to help the taste go down smoother." she explained.

"honey … where'd you get honey?" he asked.

"you don't know where honey comes from?" she asked him with a interested puzzled look. Just like the time she realized Blake couldn't prepare a pumpkin.

"i know where honey comes from, just where out here did you find it?!" he spoke, not appreciating the look.

"you just look to the tree tops for a hanging golden hive. A buzzing sound means your getting closer. Getting it is the trickier part. Don't touch the closed hives. Only wasps live in those and they don't make honey." Val informed him like a child.

"i know that!" he snapped, chugging down the last of the strange tea.

"just making sure. You don't seem to take care of yourself very well." she said. Blake just now realizing that Val was doing something by the fire. The smell of cooking meat hitting him.

"what are you making?" he said while leaning to the side to try and see.

"rabbit." she said, showing a long branch with two skewered skinless rabbits cooking.

"they'll be done by the time your nausea fully goes away." she continued.

" oh, … do you think I have an infection. It looks like I do." he said, not wanting awkward silence to settle in.

"no, its just trauma from the bites. Pushing on in the rain with those wounds did not help either. When the swelling goes down after dinner the wounds will be easier to handle." she said.

"do you have any other wounds?" she glared at him over her shoulder with a serious tone.

"... I fell in a cactus patch … that's it." he shamefully mumbled. Having Val roll her eyes back to the rabbits cooking.

" … you said kids got sick like me. What happened with them?" he quietly asked with curiosity. Knowing that the children Val looked over in the past was possibly a delicate subject.

"... I warned them multiple times, but some didn't listen. … They tried to make friends with a porcupine. They didn't want me finding out about it so they treated themselves. It kept infection away, but they didn't remove the quills well enough." Val spoke with varying expressions going from happy amusement to blank or momentary sadness at the memory.

" I found out when they started getting sick. the quills causing massive swelling followed by the skin turning dark. I was afraid I'd have to send them away like the other diseased, But after removing the quills and treating them over a few days they had gotten better." she spoke. removing the rabbits from the fire to place them on a collection of large leaves in place of a plate. Handing Blake his so she could begin taking apart hers.

Blake looked down at the cooked food with hunger and mild disgust. He wasn't used to seeing cooked animals with the head still attached. He swallowed as he carefully pulled apart the still incredibly hot meat. Blowing on it to cool it faster as he separated more from the bones.

"how'd you even catch these?" he asked. Val drawing up her own questions with a puzzled look.  
"how do you feed yourself?! Don't you catch or grow anything?" she questioned.

"well, no. the towns I live in are really big. We have certain people who farm or hunt food in large supply. Most were I live simply buy it already prepared. Like in cans, or already cut to throw on a fire. You guys seemed like you had fridges at some point. Those help in storing food too for a long time." he explained to her.

"I've seen the fridges. They used to work when I was a child. Most of us were never able to really use them like they should while growing up. Lack of power made them just metal storage for food in one spot without need of multiple cabinets." she spoke after swallowing a bite of meat.

"how does getting food where you live work? Here it was highest rank gets it all." she said with a toss of bone to the fire.

"its like what Knoth did with the guys sent to town. Give them money and they give you a certain amount of whatever. You get money by doing jobs like mine. I reported stuff and after a certain time I get an amount of money for the time I worked." he explained, biting into a drumstick.

"hmm, is your town anything like Templegate?" she asked, throwing another stripped bone into the fire.

"there can be dangerously sketchy parts of town, but nothing nearly as bad as temple gate. I rather be anywhere in town then there." he said while chewing. Val nodded as she finished off the last bit of meat from her meal. Chucking the useless bits into the fire.

She moved over to be close by Blake, having him nervously swallow his food. Relaxing when he saw she only wanted to see his leg again. She pulled a large rock close in front of her and began forming a small pile of different herbs and a little water from a hollowed cactus. Creating another new paste by grinding it down with a smaller rock.

"whats that do?" he asked.

"helps close the wound, keeps it clean and stops things from getting in." she finished. Beginning the painful process of packing it into the wound. When it was fully in she took out a stitching hook and wire to fully sow it shut.

"where did you get the stitching supplies?" he asked. Finding himself doing that a lot lately.

"so many questions. I rather be prepared for anything on this long trip into wilderness. So far its come in handy when it comes to you." she teased grabbing a hold of his arm to examine it before he could protest it.

"the swellings gone and your arm should be fine. These rotten areas will take time to treat though." she said while smearing the last of the paste over the bite marks. Stitching the more damaged areas back together.

"should I wrap them?" he asked while still trying to finish some food.

"no, it's not necessary. The paste will dry and be just as good." she advised while putting the supplies away.

"stay here. I mite be gone for a while, maybe not even till night passes." Val said as she got to her feet.

"now what are you doing?" he asked, pausing on his chewing.

"i need to find something specific for your arm. With the wolves hunting it'll be incredibly difficult to find. I might just have to set something up and wait a while." she said, going off before Blake could ask what it was she was looking for. He swallowed down his food to take another bite. Throwing a pile of bones collecting up into the fire.

"not as good as a steak, but any meat at this point is a gift from god." he thought while taking meat off a bone. When he reached the head of the creature he was still hungry, but not enough to mess with it. Finding it disgusting enough just to look at. The thought of pulling it apart till he saw teeth or eyes only creeped him out more. He chucked the head along with the remaining bones into the fire.

"maybe I'll have time for a bit of reading." he thought, looking at the entrance for a moment. Laying down with his back toward the only opening. If Val returned while reading he could easily hide the book again. Carefully pulling out the book to flip through the repeating pages.

The writing speaking of plague after plague. Locusts swarming fields while the wild life turned beyond vicious. Crops dying off or no longer growing causing mass starvation. Talks about the end of the world as Knoth spoke to god often over the ending world.

"Disease running rampant as Knoth wanted to regrow his flock. No surprise why everybody was getting sick." Blake thought as he scanned over knoths ramblings. The once clear writing turning messier each day. Half of some pages being more like ranting chicken scratch.

A thought hit Blake over the connection of Murkoff and the sudden "plagues". He saw all those files and recordings on the news. They did that to a whole massive asylum. Why not a tiny secluded town in the middle of nowhere. Mite be easier to run experiments on people without health officials or family trying to visit the sick.

"what were those lights?" he thought. A written passage by Knoth bringing a simple delusional answer.

* * *

"final corn planting before the fall. -  
We have all heard the first trumpets call. The sound to announce the lord's return, to collect the worthy to join his kingdom while the sinners rot with the cursed world. When the 7th trumpet blows from a holy being of above we shall all be free of our skins. We must be patient and cannot allow ourselves to slip before our time is ready.

I already had to reaffirm my followers doubts. An angry mob at the steps of my holy church. I do not blame them and pray they be forgiven. After all they are all weak despite my hard efforts. Val came today questioning the great creator.

Talking about the possibility of him being no man. The lack of bare chest like the others being a point of bringing up. I told him that the flesh is simply a temporary prison that we shall soon shed. No reason to be questioning the lord on such trivial matters when the issue has been far resolved. I reminded him that deacon status was left only for man. For man was sent down to rule over the females after cursing them by taking the forbidden fruit. Only sinners lie and I reassured Val he wouldn't possibly lie to me.

Val stayed with his voice faltering changing to the subject about the people next. Wondering what to do with the orphans of those sent away or deceased. I would like my flock to keep from dwindling further. Tasking him with finding a caretaker for them or bring them to work. Everyone needs to work for their share in these hard times."

"Day of first frost. -  
the leaves of the surrounding trees have fully left us. The winter cold feeling harsher than the last. I ask the lord if I have failed. I've heard the trumpets call over 7 times now. With the burning lights taunting me with holy visions.

The lord assures me i am doing his work, my flock will remain despite the 7th horn blow. He has bigger plans for all of us, testing us. The horns blowing more frequent with 2 happening each day and night. They bring me peace as I find handling my flock almost becoming a burden.

I tell the lord of my pains. Being given the advice that I should remind them of their place. The flock is straying to someone else, but the lord did not mention who. I've sent Val to look over my flock for this hidden wolf.

Nearly choked on my morning wine when he spoke of the children needing him for sick care. I told him that his job wasn't to be a caregiver. That all sick should be sent to the scalled without hesitance. That was a women job and no concern for him. After having him leave my sight I called my faithful blade Marta to my side.

I was taking the lord's advice to strike fear in my flock. Have them know the wrath of god they would face if they did not accept my word. This will be a day of punishment on all the doubters."

"Mid winter -  
my flock is all aligned again after the sight of burning sinners. A few hanging bodies being permanent reminders to those below their feet.

Not all were celebrating this victory with me. Val came to me complaining of angry town voices followed by yelling of more parent less children.

Marta forced him into place with reminder that sinners and doubters were only punished. They were straying from the peaceful fields god offers them freely. A strong hand was needed to lead them back on path. Some of the things Val said verged on the path of selfishness that I disagreed on.

I got him calm like I always do when I warn him of his sins. Having him go out to spread my word of warning to any with remaining doubts."

* * *

"seemed like Val had a longer hate streak for Knoth then he realized. Val was escaping his maniac grip before the heretics were formed. Sounded like the people wanted to leave, but what kept them? After all the suffering under Knoth was it fear keeping them? Cant be, just cant be after people growing so desperate. Not much to lose when all you have is starvation or being burned for heresy.  
"the lights and horns, as Knoth puts it, were getting quicker. Maybe the horns were just to cover the flash's true purpose. Maybe even the voice of god isn't a little voice in knoths head after all. Vals notes said she heard things as well.

Brain waves, radio waves, heard myths of people with fillings getting radio waves while driving. Or pots and pans picking up radio talk when close enough to a powerful tower. If it's strong enough it might not need any metal fillings. Murkoff did mass experiments to the point of forcing survival with no mouths on patients. Why not brain radio waves scrambling minds?

Geeze, starting to sound like a tin foil hat nut job." he sighed in thought. Tapping the small book against his forehead out of boredom.

"next I'll be saying the cellphones are controlled by skynet." he mumbled, putting the book away to stoke the fire. Wincing slightly as he got up with both legs asleep.

"wonder how Val will fix this? Probably will cut it out and apply more paste of some kind." he thought, seeing the darkened areas by his sleeve as he tossed things onto the fire. Turning to the entrance at the sound of pouring rain. Discovering it to be night as only rain pouring by the entrance was shining with reflected fire light.

"hope Vals doing alright. At least the rain will cover her from the wolves." he thought, wandering to the entrance for a drink of water.

* * *

"look guys we really need to stop!" a worker shouted over the heavy rain.

"i agree!" a soldier shouted back, yanking a leg out of the thick mud.

"what about wicker?! Another yelled.

"fuck him!" another yelled.

"put a fucking tent up! I am not taking another step in this shitty weather. I want to sleep and eat!" he shouted again, dropping a heavy bag to the floor.

"got any barbwire for the fucking wolves?" the first shouted.

Unbeknownst to them they were being watched by eyes in the mud. The mound slowly moving with the shifting of twig bunches over the body. Val had been looking for this opportunity. Creeping slowly as to not alarm the strangers. Stopping just a little away from the presence of wolfs. The rain disturbing there hunt with the cold scent covering. The creatures seeming to almost be in comas. Unblinking stares as they sat in the mud like statues.

Vals eyes wandered over the mud to stop at a sizable rock. Taking a tight hold around with one quick movement throwing it into the head of a soldier.

"ah! What the fuck was that?!" the one hit shouted in pain. Waving his flashlight over onto the sitting wolves. The creatures twitching to life at the disturbance. Growling followed by shrieks to announce the presence of food to others. More shrieks joining in made the soldiers tense with fear.

"fucking wolves!" a soldier growled, waving his flashlight into the dark. The group forming a tight circle of protection from the unseen monsters.

The sounds of rustling having one panic into shooting at the brush. A bleeding wolf full of holes still managing to run at them. Getting incredibly close before a shot to the head finished it off. More of the beasts charged into biting at the men's legs. Guns wildly firing off toward the beasts with the men falling one by one to the relentless attacks.

As they were all distracted she moved to grab one of the bags dropped. Along with collecting a chunk of meat flying to the side as the wolves shook their prey. One man holding tightly to the trigger as he fell. Letting out a spray of bullets to the surrounding area. A few landing across Vals shoulder before she could get away. Hiding with a hiss of pain behind the closest tree.

A wolf stopped eating at the scent of new blood. Sniffing with long wheezes at the air. The rain providing just enough cover to keep her hidden. However being this close wasn't the safest with a bloody injury. She took a few deep breaths, looking at the wolves. Waiting till they were all eating again before running from the area.

* * *

Blake slowly opened his eyes as the blaring sun pooled over his face. He rose with a stretch, popping his back after sleeping on a rock. Looking down at his shirt once again stained with sweat. His fever had returned worse than before.

"what time is it?" he thought, carefully getting up to look outside. The feeling of sickness catching up with his waking body. Burning throat having swallowing difficult. Outside he swallowed as the cool air hit his wet skin. Wincing up to see where the sun was for a general guess of time.  
"afternoon?" he said, the sun blaring overhead.

"val should have been back." he mumbled. Growing anxious over the possibility something happened.  
"she's probably fine." he thought to ease his concerns.

"I'll just wait out here. Too hot to be inside anyway." he spoke to himself as he carefully sat down at the short cliffs edge.

He sat for a moment, almost falling off as he jumped at a breaking branch. The sound announcing Vals arrival as she carelessly walked back.

"finally got them! Took a while to get them." she spoke loudly as she approached at the bottom of the steep climb. Holding up another rounded cactus that Blake assumed was hollowed.

"whered the blood come from?" Blake gestured to his shoulder, referring to the stain on Val.  
"i was shot." she answered casually.

"shot, what happened?!" he asked, anxiety returning.

"a little trouble, they were aiming at something else. I just got unlucky in where I stood. The bullets are out with the holes shut. It'll be fine in a few days." she told him while climbing back up.

"the fevers come back." he told her. Not wanting to make the mistake of ignoring an injury again.

"i thought it would. Most the pumpkin leaves had dried out into being useless. I hoped it wouldn't come back, but now were going to treat it the long way. I can still treat the rest of the symptoms just fine. Most the medicinal plants grow around the water here." she said as she sat down beside him.

"are you going to cut the areas out or spread something on it first?" he asked as she rolled up his sleeve.

"no, they'll take care it." she said, grabbing the cactus.

"they?" he asked confused. His eyes going wide as Val took the top off the cactus to reveal the hollowed area now filled with writhing white worms.

"what are those?!" he exclaimed, scrambling up onto his feet away from the disgusting things.

"they're just maggots." Val stated.

"I'm not putting those on my arm! I want to keep it, not have It eaten off the bone!" he shouted, keeping his injured arm close to his chest.

"they only eat the dead parts they won't touch the rest. Now let me put them on." she said, standing up so she could come near.

"no! Forget the worms, just cut the parts out!" he exclaimed, hiding his arm away.

"cutting it out wont leave the areas clean. It also risks damaging your arm more." she sighed, becoming annoyed over Blakes stubbornness.

"I'm not putting flesh eating worms on my arm! I'll just cut it out myself!" he growled, keeping his arm away from Val as she got closer.

"you're making this unnecessarily difficult." Val glared, tapping the cactus of maggots impatiently.

"whatever, just get rid of them. I'll fix my own damn arm." he huffed toward her while going back inside.

"suit yourself." she spoke under her breath. Following Blake inside a minute after he went.

"okay, sterilize the knife and then ... just cut." he talked to himself. Attempting to carefully heat the metal shard in the fire. Looking toward Val out of annoyance from her repeated tapping of the maggot container. Growing more annoyed at the expression across Vals face as she watched him.

"don't look at me like that." he glared at her.

"like what?" she asked with a raised brow.

"like what i am doing is insane." he said, looking back toward the hot metal shard. Carefully pulling it out with a long slender branch.

"let that cool. What else should I do?" he spoke to himself quietly. Thinking for a moment on what steps a doctor would do.

"I'm not the one talking to myself." she mumbled under her breath as she set the maggot container down.

"what was that?!" he said angrily toward her.

"nothing, just considering something." she said, looking into her bag of medicine.

"can you at least give me one of those lettuce shoots so I don't feel pain?" he asked her.

"I'm not wasting valuable medicine on something so unnecessary." she stated.

"ugh, I'll just bite my damn sleeve then!" he growled, throwing his hands in the air out of frustration. He looked down to the metal to eye it on possibly being cool enough. Quickly tapping it to get a sense of how hot it was. After feeling that most the heat had left it he picked it up tightly in his hand.

"just go slow, take deep breaths." he told himself as he brought up his shaking hand. Breathing deeply as he prepared to cut into a dark spot nearing his wrist tendons. He took one last deep breath as he pressed the knife against his skin.

Slashing at the air when Val threw a small pinch of dust into his face. He jumped to his feet in a coughing fit. Backing up till he felt the wall against him. He glared at Val despite the spinning world. Feeling his body grow heavy with sleep, but managing to somehow stay awake.

"sit down so I can treat your arm." Val spoke gently as she came near. Backing up as Blake swung at her with the metal.

"fuck off!" he snapped.

"after that dust junk I will seriously hurt you!" he said furiously. One hand holding the blade tightly while the other practically clawed into the wall to keep him on his feet.

"i only gave you enough to relax. If you don't let me look at that arm ill have to throw more at you." she warned. Blake swallowed with a shake of his head. Holding an intense glare of anger toward her while holding his breath in long amounts. She sighed as she stood by with a intense stare of her own. A stalemate of staring commencing as neither were backing down.

"your being difficult again." she glared.

"fucking wonder why?!" he snapped with a returning glare.

"sit down." she spoke sternly, coming closer.

"i will fucking stab you!" he growled as his body tensed up against the wall.

"then do it!" she challenged, stepping even closer. Blake roughly swallowed as that was the last thing he expected her to say. His heart skipping a beat in his chest with his hand now shaking.

"i-i will!" he warned again with a stutter. Growing increasingly fearful as his hollow threats were no longer working. He was horrible at fighting even if he was getting his ass kicked. He couldn't count the number of times lynn had to save him from assholes punching his face in on the reporting field.

Val walked forward despite his warning. Having Blake freeze up in fear against the wall. until his terrified brain remembered the exit. He only did a quick glance before he bolted for the exit. Val reaching out in time to just grab his collar to yank him back.

Blake swung out his arm as he felt himself fall backwards. Accidentally slashing deep into Vals arm having her release with a tight wince of pain. When Blake hit the floor he froze up after seeing the injury he had caused. Flinching his eyes shut as Val moved toward him, expecting a hit or some kind of harm to come to him. Wheezing in a sudden breath of air as he was surprised by Val straddling him. He was stopped from sitting up by Val pushing him down with a hand on his chest.

"settle!" she commanded down to him. He swallowed thickly while trying to desperately breath through his asthma.

"get … off." he managed to wheezed out. Having Val sit over his chest not being the only thing adding to breathing difficulty. It dragged up dark memory's of the mines seeing her over him. A painful feeling of his heart seizing in his chest like his rib cage was being crushed.

Val got off when she saw his distressed breathing. Sitting by his side to carefully watch him if something went horribly wrong. Blake carefully moved onto his side. Wheezing with his head lowered to the ground. Body shaking out of his control while remaining on the floor. Taking repeated deep breaths to stop his chest from crushing his heart.

He shut his eyes to rest for a moment when his breathing returned and the crushing pain left his chest. His body no longer shaking, but now covered in a thick layer of sweat. Val remained sitting quietly by him keeping a watchful eye as he recovered.

"do you want to rest?" she asked when a few moments passed.

"lets just get it done." he grumbled about the arm issue. Sitting back up with a tired groan when a headache hit him. He felt exhausted after the whole thing, but really wanted to get it all over with.

He watched Val nervously as she collected the maggot holder. returning with it to be at his side. She rolled up his sleeve before opening the container of worms. Blake looking away to swallow thickly at the disgusting site of writhing maggots. When he felt her begin to set worms across his arm he turned pale. Letting out a sickly groan while continuing to face away. Feeling that if he dared look he would soon lose his stomach.

"how long will this take?" he asked with a shaking voice.

"a day, but the areas will be completely removed and clean by the end." she answered as she finished spreading the worms.

"here, so you don't have to watch them." she added, beginning to wrap his arm in a large sterile hospital bandage.

"where'd you get that?!" Blake asked when he saw the wrapping. It certainly wasn't one of his, much too big and still a freshly white color.

"one of the strangers bags." she answered, tying the bandage off.  
"don't touch it or you'll disturb the work." she told him in a serious tone.

"how many did you get? Did you get anything else?" he questioned, looking to and away from his arm in disgust. Although he couldn't see the worms, he could definitely still feel them. Like a strange static tickling sensation slowly shifting all over his arm.

"only 6 of these rolls. The rest were maps, dynamite, and what I assume were radios among other strange things." she said.

"dynamite …?" Blake repeated with concern.

"what could they want with dynamite?" he asked.

"block exits. I used to go out with a party to cause rock slides to mess with knoths followers. Made picking them off easier." she spoke while tending to the fire. Sitting down by it to see her injury better. The large cut Blake had caused being in need of stitches. The sight of the wound having Blake want to apologize for it. However the dark memory he went through made him angry and unwilling to.

"why'd you bother with Templegate if you hated everything so much. Sounds like you could have easily destroyed the town. Why didn't you? Were you afraid of Knoth?" he angrily talked.

"i wasn't afraid! I wanted him to suffer!" she roared,standing tall over Blake for such an accusation. Giving Blake the most hate filled glare he'd ever seen. That saying something as reporters got those commonly.

"i wanted him to see his failures! Have his flock either picked off or leave him for dead! Watch as the town he worked so hard to build to burn in flames! After that I would make it my job for him to live as long as possible. I wouldn't have allowed him the easy way out. He would have been a precious pet in some pit I threw scraps down to now and again." she spoke with pure hate in a loud voice, calming down by the end of it.

"... wouldn't it have been better to leave?" Blake spoke quietly in a gentle tone.

"i considered it once." she said, throwing another branch into the fire with anger.

"so, what happened?" he asked.

"you fell from the sky." she stated, heading for the entrance.

"oh. ...what are you doing now?"

"need to collect water for your medical tea. With a new cactus to hold it all in." she yelled from outside as she headed to the water's edge.

He swallowed at the remembrance he was sick. The whole adrenaline rush he just got taking his mind off it. His body feeling sore all over with added exhaustion coming on. A fever burning hot that he would just have to deal with till he was better.

* * *

"fucking idiots taken down by a bunch of mange ridden mutts!" wicker shouted as he kicked a head ripped clean from its body.

"these are not normal wolves sir. They've suffered so much mercury poisoning they don't recognize they're limits. They just keep attacking with no sense of pain." a worker explained. Raising a bullet filled mangled wolf body with gloved hands.

"whatever! Just regather the supplies back. I better not find any of you camping like these half wits either! Ill find out and throw you to these bastards!" he shouted over the group. Picking up a dead wolf by the neck to shake it at them before throwing it into a pile of mangled bodies.

A beep coming from his wrist had him stop. Turning ghostly pail with a thick swallow of nervousness. He shakily brought up his wrist to look as a small message pad. An alert that the CEO had sent him a new message. He nervously opened it to find a furious message.

"i know what your doing out there! I had the lab keeping tabs on you since this disaster started. You cant just ignore me after "fixing" the radios to deny my frequency. Your going AWOL and Murkoff is not happy about your disservice!

Currently I have no choice but to allow your circus to go on. I cannot send anyone from the lab and all my field men are stuck with you. As of right now i am begrudgingly giving you a week, a full 7 days to fix this before I arrive to fix it!

Get your shit together before then wicker!"

he let out a sigh of relief followed by a hysterical laughing fit. Causing all around him to stop with concern. When he noticed the pause his laughing turned to aggression.

"what are you looking at?!" he snapped, scaring everyone back into their work.

"sir -" a worker spoke.

"what?!" wicker interrupted with a snap. The worker gulped before starting again.

"a bag is missing." the worker spoke more timidly.

"what bag, whats it holding?" he asked quickly in a demanding manner.

"medical equipment, a supply of demolition dynamite, and a portable communication radio set up." the worker answered.

"all of you look for a bag!" wicker shouted into his radio. Getting multiple confirmations over radio of the order being heard.

"we found a bag far off by a severed arm covered in maggots." a soldier called in.

"anything missing?" wicker asked.

"all the medical bandages. Everything else was left." the soldier answered.

"at least one of them is nearby. Search for tracks or anything else around that bag." wicker commanded.  
"yes sir." a quick reply was returned.


	9. Risk

Blake awoke to Val roughly shaking him. Opening his eyes to see why he was being woken up. He looked at the entrance to see it just barely getting dark with the sky being a dark blue. He sat up with difficulty as his body felt like it was in an oven. He opened his mouth to speak, but found his lava burning throat making that difficult too.

"why, it's barely night?" he asked, speaking as little as possible.

"it's not night its morning. Your getting too hot and you need to cool down in the water." she explained to him, helping him get onto his feet.

"morning, it can't be morning." he thought, being helped outside. He paused at the small amount of light hurting his eyes.

"a hangover would be better than this." he mouthed to himself. Val continuing to help him down to the water.

"when I sleep?" he asked, the fever making sentences hard too.

"i went for water and you were asleep when I came back. I thought I should leave you to sleep the fever off." she explained, helping to remove the bandage from his arm. Blake looked away at the glimpse of maggots. Letting Val sweep them away as he removed his bag.

"your arms clean enough to remove the maggots now. Soak it to get them off and re-bandage it when your ready." Val spoke, cleaning off almost all the maggots. She helped removed his sweat soaked shirt next. Blake gaining sudden clarity when Val started removing his pants.

"hey, i am keeping those on!" he exclaimed, tightly holding his pants up.

"I'll get in the water by myself." he stated to her. Having Val wave a hand at the air in dismissal. Leaving Blake alone at the water's edge to head back toward the shelter.

Blake huffed at her before turning to face the water. Carefully stepping down into a deeper part of the water until he was fully submerged. Finding a nearby large rock he could rest against. Barely a 2 minute walk and he was already far too exhausted to stand.

"at least the cool water gave some relief." he thought, closing his eyes for a moment. Opening them when he heard Val returning.

"drink it all." she said, handing him a cactus full of tea. Blake stared at it for a moment feeling like the last thing he wanted was a hot beverage. He sighed before quickly chugging the drink down. Making a disgusted face at the strange taste before throwing the empty cactus to the side. He slipped down deeper into the water to just below the top of his shoulders.

"i could spend all day in the water." he thought. Looking over to where he heard the water being disturbed. Seeing Val walk down into the deeper water as she started becoming undressed.

"maybe not." Blake thought nervously as he looked into the complete opposite direction. He remained at his rock being too sick to move from it. Tapping or moving the water to distract himself.

"i just don't have to look. Just wait and don't look. How difficult can that be?" he thought to himself. Curiosity getting the better of him though with an incredible urge to look.

"there's no reason to look. Why should I look? Looking into strange things is what got me into this trouble in the first place." he thought, not realizing they were slowly coming out as indistinguishable mumbles.

"talking to yourself again?" Val teased from her spot away from him.

"talking to yourself is normal when ... considering..." he started strong then slowly turned it to silence when he realized he was defending talking to himself. Gaining a unintentional side glance of Val as he only meant to face slightly in her direction. Seeing something around her upper chest like leather. Curiosity tempting him more to look.

He took another quick glance. Seeing what ever it was being a vest of sorts covering her. He got a more clear look toward her being ready to turn away if he was noticed. Wrapped skin tight around her chest was a light leather twisting around her similar to a wrapped bandage. Blake wondering how she could even breath with how tight it seemed. It answered one question in his mind on how her chest seemed male one moment and more full the next.

"why wear that? Some left over habit Knoth left on her?" he thought, more accidental mumbles. Facing away again to consider saying something.

"Knoth scarred a pretty big part of her life. Her being left alone to debate what she was. only to be scolded for questioning it at every turn." he thought.

"you know … you don't have to wear that … you're not in Templegate anymore." he spoke awkwardly, going around the topic carefully.

"yes, but its still best to keep them tied down out of the way." Val smiled in reference to her chest.

"fuck, why didn't I think of that." Blake scolded himself in thought.  
"of course it's why she wears it. Not like Templegate has much material for certain clothing." he continued in his mind.

"want to help catch some fish?" Val asked, coming out of the water to redress.

"i don't really know how to fish." he answered, keeping himself from looking.

"it's easy, just float some bait and grab them when they come to the surface." she explained, fully clothed and heading back to the shelter.

Blake sat fully up in the water. All the aches and pains being gone since he took the tea.

"Learning to catch some sort of food would be useful." he thought, carefully standing. Looking around him till he saw his shirt. Deciding to just slosh that in the water as well. It might as well be cold and wet to wear along with being clean again. Catching a glimpse of his arm as he slipped his sleeves on.  
Examining the wounds covering his arm with disturbed curiosity. Seeing a perfectly cut out following exactly where and how the dead spots looked.

"do you want to wrap that?" Val asked upon returning with the maggot container. Blake forming a grimace at the worms.

"do I have to put more on?" he asked over the maggots.

"no, these are for the fish now." she said, holding out the container in gesture for Blake to take some.

"uh, why don't you show me first." he gulped, not wanting to put his hand anywhere near the worms.

"alright, follow me. We've scared the fish from coming over here, have to move down river." Val gestured him to follow as she walked. Blake grabbing his bag off the ground as he followed behind.

"you didn't answer, do you want to wrap it?" Val asked again.

"... yeah." he answered after a moments thought.

"i hope you can handle wrappings." Val teased him while taking out a roll to toss to him.

"i can wrap bandages fine." he grumbled, catching the roll.

"just making sure, since you can't take care of yourself." she said.

"i can take care of myself!" he snapped.

"You don't know how to carve pumpkins, catch rabbits or fish, or on how to treat wounds." she listed off.

"that's because I go to a doctor when I get sick, or buy stuff already prepared at the market." he grumbled.

"what do you do if those are not available?" Val asked.

"there always available." Blake stated.

"except now." Val smirked.

"w-well yeah, but this is like the middle of nowhere!" he exclaimed, feeling agitation at the smirk.

"and so you can't care for yourself." Val smirked, winning the argument.

"whatever!" he rolled his eyes. Following Val around a rocky corner down stream. Already he could see a few fish shimmering under the water's surface.

"hope we find something bigger." he said. Watching the small, barely 2 inches, fish dart around.  
Both stopped in their tracks as an armed man confronted them. Weapon in hand pointing toward them keeping them still.

"hold it right there, drop what you got!" the arm man yelled at them in a commanding tone. Val dropping the cactus and Blake dropping the roll of bandage in his hand.

"get your hands up." the armed man demanded.

Blake examined the man as they did what they were told. Swallowing as he thought of a possible escape.

"do as he says, then when he tells us to move I'll jump him." Blake thought.

Just as he prepared his idea Val made a move of her own toward her bag. Blakes eyes widened as he saw the trigger being pulled. Jumping into the way of the weapon with a quick hit to the chest followed by a shocking pain.

Blake fell to the floor as his body locked up in pain. The shocking continuing through metal barbs attached to wires. Finding a bit of luck that the man was holding a taser instead of a gun. Just as Blake fell Val through a handful of dust at the attacker. The taser being dropped with screaming of pain from the guy.

Blake remaining paralyzed on the ground, not sure if being soaking wet had helped him or not. Breathing through the pain to slowly get up. Watching the stranger fall to the floor on hands and knees. Hacking up blood with barely any air getting into the man. fully dropping to the dirt with a final wheeze.

Val picked up the weapon to carefully examine it. Yanking on it to break the wires free from Blake, getting a yelp of pain from him. The action still leaving the barbs embedded in the skin.  
"is this a taser?" Val asked with a bit of curiosity. Having never seen one in her life, but reading about them.

"yes." Blake groaned out in pain from the ground. Seeing Val toss the broken taser aside to help him onto his feet.

"they're getting close. We'll have to leave here." Val said as she helped Blake stand, grabbing the bandage roll as they headed back.

"what if that guy gets up?" Blake asked, wincing in pain as he walked.

"he's not getting up." Val assured him.

"why did you do that? You just froze in front of him." she asked.

"i was tazed!" he stated.

"no, before that. You could have hit him. You had enough time to at least grab him." Val spoke.

"gee, you're welcome." Blake spoke sarcastically. Back at the shelter Val carefully set Blake against the wall.

"how are you feeling?" she asked.

"lots of aches and pains. Chest feels tight while my stomach feels horrible." he answered, swallowing multiple times as he breathed through the pain.

"getting worse or better?" she continued questioning.

"I'll be fine after a while." he answered, getting a nod from Val.

"we mite be safe, if they don't know of this place. that's taking a chance that they don't and another chance of getting you moving if we leave." she explained seriously to him.

"i just need an hour to rest." he said honestly. Feeling far too beat down to go trudging over landscape.

"I'll make you more tea. We should also eat while we can. Mite end up being on the run with them getting so close. Stay here, I'll return quickly." she said, handing Blake the bandage roll as she headed out to forage. Once she left out of his sight he got started on wrapping his arm.

"what am I doing?" he asked himself in thought. Finishing the wrappings to his arm.

"i had almost jumped in front of a loaded gun for Val. Only pure luck it wasn't one saved me. Why does this always happen?" he thought. Remembering back on all the therapists he saw along with what they said. Ever since Jessica's death he suffered overwhelming guilt. Over time it developed psychological problems.

Doctors weren't sure what to call his disorder. Altruism disorder was the best label they could come up for it. The doctors were never entirely sure if it was a real disorder at all or just remaining guilt. The issue causing Blake to be overly helpful despite his own well being. willing to step in harms way to save someone no matter the cost.

It made Blakes life difficult with the dating scene. Most took his extreme altruism as lacking a backbone. When it came to health or safety he would give anything to the one we was with. Thankfully the effect stopped at any money related issues preventing gold diggers from leeching on him. He wasn't a pure pushover like many spread rumors of during his high school years. He knew when somebody wanted him as a free bank, companionship, or for causing jealousy.

"all those jealous boyfriends." Blake chuckled to himself. He couldn't count how many times a guy ran up to punch him. After a while he just stopped dating.

Probably the only reason he ended up with lynn. No other relationship seemed to workout after the first date. They stuck by each other through thick and thin working to balance each other out. Being a reporter got you into a lot of fights. Blake would usually take the first punch for lynn before she pounded the attacker down. Making sure to care for Blake after the fight was resolved.

Now here he was doing the same thing again. Protecting what he saw when he felt it wasn't deserved. He shouldn't have risked his life for a mistake Val made.

"i have to leave before this gets out of hand." he thought, wincing when he tried taking a deep breath. A painful reminder he still had metal barbs in his chest.

"better do something about those." Blake mumbled, getting to his feet.

"wish I had some tweezers right now. All there is to do is cut them out, hopefully there not deep." he thought while heating up the metal in the fire for sterilizing. Removing his shirt for a clearer look at the holes. Carefully retrieving the sharp object to pick at the first barb. He'd seen a few tazeing on his job, but this one looked different. The taser having shot 6 barbs instead of just two. The barbs were also missing a metal cylinder tubing on the ends. Making the removal process much more difficult.

"fuck these are deep." Blake grumbled. Wincing as he dug under his skin to reach the barb. Trying hard to wedge the barb free. Repeating curses the entire time in his head while repeatedly unhooking the barb. Finally pulling it out after 5 minutes. Laying it in the palm of his hand to examine it.

"they definitely didn't want these back." Blake mumbled to himself. The barbs being covered in backwards hooks going down in 4 long rows. He tossed the barb to the side to start on the next one.

"what are you doing?" Val questioned with a concerned tone. Coming in on Blake cutting a spot in his chest. Blake accidentally swallowed down some air after being startled.

"ugh, I still got the taser barbs in me and need to cut them out." he groaned, his stomach not settling well after that jump.

"cutting them out isn't very good." she said, setting a cactus full of water down close to the fire for cooking. Propping it up with the use of multiple rocks. Sliding another large flat rock into the fire to quickly set down 4 decent sized silver fish to cook across it.

"iam not putting maggots on these!" Blake said firmly encase the idea was brought up.

"maggots can't be used on every wound. Its only if the area is fully dead." Val stated, dropping herbs into the slow cooking water for medical tea.

"just making sure." Blake hissed out in pain. The first barb was apparently easy to remove and the rest not so much.

"i can get them out." Val offered, finishing up on adding the herbs.

"no, I got it." he hissed again in pain. Val sitting by watching him with amusement. Blake getting frustrated as the barb refused to budge. At this point he was only making a larger hole in his chest. Val moved his hands away from the wound. Pushing him back to lean against the wall.

"here, let me get them." she spoke while straddling his lap. The uncomfortable feeling Blake was getting increasing when Val sucked on one of the wounds. Having Blake swallow thickly as he watched her. Val sitting up to look away from him, spitting the pulled barb to the ground. Starting on another one as Blake sat with his body tense against the wall.

After minutes of work Val spat out the final barb. Just as Blakes body began relaxing it tensed when she hugged him. Hiding her face in his neck as he nervously sat. keeping his arms spread away in confusion at the gesture.

"thank you." she said to him.

"... welcome." Blake swallowed, gently hugging her back. Letting go when she did and being a little thankful that she moved afterwards.

"you don't need much for those holes. Smearing honey on them will keep infection away." she told him, setting the hot tea aside.

"I'll have to get a little more." Val added, getting up to leave again.

"I'll come." Blake offered.  
"you should stay and rest so we'll be ready to move." Val said.

"i need the fresh air. Have to get my muscles moving so they wont stay stiff." he insisted.

"very well, stay close. Don't get stung." she spoke quickly, going outside.

Blake followed her quietly, wincing every few steps. All his muscles still had a painful stiffness to them ever since the shock. He looked up toward the trees as he heard a loud buzzing. Val stopping to grab a handful of dry moss with a nearby branch. Making a simple torch from the two with a few sparks. Waiting for a full flame to burn before snuffing it out in the dirt.

Holding a smoking torch as she headed forward again to a tree. Looking up toward a large honeycomb hanging along a branch.

"stay down here." she told him. Climbing up the tree to stop just below it. Letting the smoking torch smother the hive in a thick cloud. The mass of bees fleeing the hive to escape the cloud. In a few minutes the hive was clear. Val climbing closer up to the branch to break off a chunk of the honeycomb.  
Val letting out a sharp hiss of pain when she reached out. Pulling her arm back against her as she leaned against the tree.

"are you alright?" Blake yelled up to her.

"yes, just my shoulder." she yelled back. Quickly grabbing some honey comb with a wince of pain. Carefully climbing back down with no further issues.

"here, Don't need much." Val spoke, handing Blake a broken off chunk of honeycomb.

"why so much then?" he asked, looking at the large handful.

"you can eat it." Val smiled, eating of a small bite from her half. Gesturing for them both to head back.

"oh..." Blake said, a little intimidated at the sight having never eaten honey comb before.

"never eaten honey before?" she asked.

"i have, just not the comb. Do I just chew on it or swallow the whole thing?" he asked, examining the golden sticky object.

"you just eat it." she answered.

"wait, bees lay eggs in this stuff. What if there's eggs or something?" he asked.

"eat those too." she chuckled, taking another bite.

Blake tentatively took a small bite from the corner of the comb. Enjoying the taste of honey that filled his mouth. The wax lacking taste he was happy to find out, although it kept sticking to his teeth while chewing. Memory's coming up of chewing gum or something like taffy.

"I'd love to have this with waffles." he thought. Eating more till he remembered he needed some for his wounds. Stopping on the last bite to collect honey on his fingers to smear over the small wounds. Tossing the last bite into his mouth as they reached the pond again.

He trailed a little behind Val in going up the steep hill climb. Surprised by Val stopping with another hiss of pain. Seeing her stop to grab her shoulder where a old bullet wound was. Sliding down against the fallen tree she attempted to climb.

"your shoulder alright?" he asked, coming up to be next to her.

"it's fine." she stated, the lie showing through her shaking voice.

"can you make it up?" Blake asked, worry increasing when he noticed Val tense at the question. Getting no answer from her confirming his suspicion that she couldn't.

"i can help you." he spoke gently. Val sighed with her body going momentarily limp in defeat.

"no." she mumbled, sitting back up to lean against the dead tree.

"val-" he started gently.

"i will get up when I want too!" she snapped, glaring with fury filled eyes.

"... I'll come back." Blake spoke gently again. Heading up to retrieve his medicine and the cooking fish that were probably well done.

He threw on his shirt and chugged down the lukewarm drink. Gagging a little at the strong taste while he cautiously pulled the fish out. Using his empty tea cactus as a temporary bowl. Quickly shoving the hot fish as fast as he could into it without burning his fingers. Waving his hand afterward to remove the small stinging heat on them. Heading right back down to Val with the food.

"i got the fish. We can eat here then we can leave." he said, trying to get Val out of her agitated mood.

"i can help you with that bullet hole-" he started, being interrupted by Val.

"no, I can handle it." she growled aggressively, refusing to face Blake.

He knew why she refused the help. Asking for help got you nowhere in Templegate. Getting a crippling injury was no better. She was about to be stuck with both if he didn't figure out how to help.

* * *

"groups call in!" wicker shouted into the radio. Getting replies one after another calling out numbers.

"4."  
"5."

"6 call in." wicker growled.

"we're missing somebody. He went off 10 minutes ago and we haven't heard anything since." a worker called in.

"where's your team? I'll be heading everybody over there." wicker demanded the answer to. Snapping his fingers to gather those around him. Giving off hand gestures telling what to do.

"are you sure? He might have just fell or ran into wolves." the worker asked.

"i am not taking any chances. Its toward the pond in the radius of the moved bag. No one else has seen anything so far." wicker spoke, jaw coming loose again. A loud pop ringing out when he pressed it back.

"move faster!" wicker roared at the group working around him.

"get me a damn sniper gun! I want to pick them off without any trouble!" wicker shouted down at a nearby soldier he grabbed by the front of his shirt. Throwing the man back down into the dirt.  
"yes sir!" the man spoke fearfully from the ground.

"where's a damn landscape mapper?!" he roared. One such worker hesitantly stepping forward.

"are there any caves near group 6?" wicker asked, looming over the man.

"n-none that we know of." the man stuttered.

"what's the area like?!" wicker snapped quickly, demanding the answers quicker.

"l-lots of valley like areas. Tall rock walls, cliff edges, n-narrow surroundings." the man tried to speak quickly.

"good, that means I can make a funnel almost anywhere." wicker spoke, turning his attention to his radio.

"if you find either of them don't let them see you. You'll only scare them off and ill have to find them again!" he stated into the radio.

* * *

"what if its infected?" he asked. Trying to scare her into agreeing with him at examining it. Despite knowing that wasn't likely if the pills they've been taking actually worked.

"id be in a lot more pain." Val stated.

"why are you now in pain then?" he asked.

"i must have torn something. Maybe popped a stitch when i threw the powder into that guys face." she grumbled.

"well, were going to be here for a little bit to eat. Fix your shoulder here while we do." Blake tried convincing her. Offering the fish to her back.

"if it's not a stitch, there's nothing to do." she stated as she got to her feet. Grabbing two of the four fish before heading to the water. Starting on the fish with a bite to the head with a loud crunch sound. Blake looked down to his two fish. Turning it upside down to hide the staring head. Peeling off the crispy skin with some meat off the bone.

"wonder if Val can find a lemon tree." he joked in his head. Thinking about how it would be nice to squeeze lemon on the two fish. He got up to follow Vals foot steps to the water. Eating bits and pieces from his two fish on the way. Turning around to walk backwards toward the waters edge as he got closer. Seeing Val already getting undressed from between the trees.

Going around the trees and large rocks with careful slow steps. Stopping close to where he could hear her in the water. He sat down to better eat his fish. Tossing little bones aside as he cleaned them of the meat.

"as I said. It's just a tear. None of the stitches had popped with no sign of infection." she stated. Blake looking back to gain a glimpse of the wound. A bullet hole in the space between the spine and shoulder blade. surrounded by skin with a bright burning red spreading outward from the wound.

"it looks really red." Blake noted to her. Getting an annoyed sigh from Val at the news.

"did you get the bullet out?" he asked.

" … it's fine." she mumbled. Blake looking away as she came up out of the water. Finishing off his fish as she redressed off to the side.

"... so what do we do?" he asked on the whole situation.

"how's your fever, feel sick at all?" she asked.

"it's not so bad anymore. Still do a lot of sweating, but everything else seems to be going away too." he answered.

"what about your leg?" she asked.

"its doing a lot better. Only hurts a little when I walk." he answered.

"no reason to stay then. It's best we get moving now. They're somewhere nearby if that guy was just walking around alone." Val said to him.

"we better -" Blake spoke, interrupted by a huge boom. Followed by many other similar booms in the distance surrounding them.

"...what do you think that was?" Blake asked.

"sealing exits I suppose. That's a warning for us to go." Val spoke, gesturing for Blake to quickly get up. Val running a little ahead to quickly snatch plants to stuff in her bag. Keeping ahead of Blake to not waste time while collecting.

"where are we heading?" he asked while keeping up.

"we'll be traveling over some mountains. It'll be easier to hide from them with the drastic weather around there. After that we follow a large river with white rapids to a waterfall down into a canyon. We follow that till it ends then travel a little longer. At the end of that we shall finally reach the town." she explained, keeping a quick steady walking pace.

"... you sure that guy won't wake up and say something?" he questioned.

"absolutely." she answered confidently.

" … what's in that powder anyway, mushrooms?" he asked.

"no, mushrooms are too difficult to work with. There only good for poisoning through food if you manage to sneak it in." she explained.

"what do you use then?"

"flowers, water, sometimes charcoal. Depending on what effects you want the mix to have." she answered.

"like what? death, sleep and ..." Blake started for her.

"hallucinations, sickness, blindness, the feeling of lust." Val listed off.

"if were going to get through all this it might be good to teach you the land. Teach you edible vs toxic plants, how to catch food, other basic skills of survival. Two hunters for supplies are better than one. That'll be important when we reach the mountains. Knowing poisons will help us deal with the strangers."

"you're going to teach me how to make that knockout powder?" he asked her.

"among other things, we'll start small so you don't accidentally kill yourself." she told him. The two freezing momentarily at a few more booms sounding off in the distance.

"... you think they know where we are?" he asked.

"no, sounds like there closing random channels. Half of those are around dead ends with cliff drops. Others don't go anywhere, but back to Templegate or rocky earth with only cacti for miles." Val explained while pointing in the related directions.

"just hope they don't block our way." Blake sighed.


	10. Shattered

"How many exits left in the radius?" wicker spoke into the radio. Shifting his jaw side to side impatiently.

"were about to blow the last few in a minute. All that will leave is the funnel." a soldier replied.

"good, once all the exits are closed head down. Scare them towards it and I'll take the shots from the high cliffs." wicker ended the call with. A large crate sitting nearby with large clips. He turned around to unclip the crate open. Pulling out a long dark red sniper rifle from the snug foam padding. Opening a second box nearby filled with large silver rings of ammo. Snapping them into a large under compartment resembling a tube around 5 inches wide around.

"you sure this was the best one from the lab?" wicker asked with a neutral expression toward a soldier.

"yes sir, custom built. Made specifically to take any bullets available, that includes different types like shotgun shells, loaded clips or belts. silencer attachment, automatic filter scope to switch between day and night vision through even the most drastic changes of light in the environment. Can even shoot after being drowned in water for hours. The perfect traveling assault for any range." the soldier spoke off proudly over the weapon.

"heh, I've hear this thing was even built to work under pressure. After it breaks it can still perfectly fire ammunition. Although it's not marked as solid in testing." the soldier smiled.

"so why haven't these been released to the field if their so perfect?" wicker asked.

"the firepower can blow limbs right off the body, but it gives a nasty kickback. Hasn't been properly suppressed yet. You must be thorough on locking it down or backing it against something solid. Or else you'll end up with broken shoulders, ribs, and even spinal fractures." the soldier warned.

"fucking perfect." wicker growled at the news.

"it comes with a portable shoulder brace. Small, easily adjustable, locks to the rifle to act like a stand against anything. Lean against a tree with the brace on it and it'll spread the kick to the tree. It doesn't entirely stop the possibility of bone breakage, but lessens the amount caused." the soldier continued.

"lock it to the ground before firing." the soldier reminded as he handed over the large shoulder brace from a side compartment in the guns casing.

"don't bother with the return paperwork. I love this thing far too much already." wicker grinned widely with a crooked smile. Snapping on the shoulder brace before locking the gun to it.

* * *

"fuck, they've blocked this too." Val cursed at the wall of towering rubble.

"any more?" Blake asked quietly. They had been traveling everywhere the entire day with the sky turning orange from the sunset. Each pathway being blocked off from explosions causing a rock pile.

"yes, only a few more. Otherwise were going to have to climb our way out." Val spoke with mixed exhausted aggravation. Their heads turning toward a loud pop from behind them. Blake having a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach at the sight of a red flare.

"what's that?" Val asked in a tense tone of worry.

"a flare, used to signal for help. Or to help light up an area for search." Blake spoke with a heavy swallow. More flares blasting high into the air in a circle formation around the pair.

"they must have seen us!" Blake spoke quickly to Val.

"follow me and stay close." Val told him as she hurried off toward the closest exit. Blakes heart racing as he followed. Seeing the many beams of flashlights surrounding them closing in. he began to feel sick at the flashes of being chased in Templegate. All the lights looking for him, shining between trees or into the windows.

His lack of attention almost knocking Val down after she stopped. She turned to make sure he was on his feet before pulling him to follow in a direction away from oncoming men. Val letting go of him as they passed into the narrow valley way. The sheer tall sides of the rocky cliffs blocking the light from the remaining sun and the falling red flares behind them. Vals running slowing to a stop while quickly looking over the area.

"why are you stopping?" Blake asked through his wheezing.

"they stopped." Val stated, looking back at the long row of standing flashlights aimed at the valley entrance.  
"so, shouldn't we keep going?" he wheezed.

"no, this was something I used to do. Somethings waiting ahead for us." she stated, cautiously walking forward with quiet steps. Blake following her lead while nervously looking ahead. The whole forest being eerily silent besides there steps through the gravel. Val not walking far before stopping again.

"if we keep going we'll be out in the open. There's no trees ahead with a white rapids river forcing us against one wall." she informed Blake.

"what do we do then?" Blake asked, knowing he wouldn't like the answer.

"only two, run against the wall till we make the corner far ahead. Or jump into the river, right past the trees, with the risk of drowning." Val stated.

"can you swim?" she asked.

"yeah, I do that pretty well." Blake nodded.

"if we end up in the river we have to meet someplace. Past the rapids, down the river, is a lake. You cant accidentally pass it if you get stuck in the river. River gets too shallow past the lake to be swept further." she carefully informed. Blake nodded as he listened carefully to the directions.

* * *

"are they in the funnel?!" wicker growled impatiently over the radio. Sitting at the cliffs edge with the sniper rifle locked into the dirt. long retractable metal rods extending out from the bottom.

"yes sir, we chased them in. must be stopped in the middle ground." a man answered.

"scare them, move forward. Shoot a few rounds to get them moving." wicker sighed impatiently. Watching the treeline through the night vision scope.

"yes sir." the man spoke. Gesturing for the line of armed men to follow him forward.

* * *

"time to make a decision. River or chance the wall." Val stated as she saw the flashlights moving closer.

"river gets us away faster." Blake stated quickly. Val giving a confirming nod as they went forward.

Blakes heart jumping into his throat at the open space ahead. Rushing river water drowning out their footsteps.

"l-let me go forward." Blake spoke, stopping Val to get in front of her. Taking a nervous breath as he slowly peaked out past the trees.

A tree suddenly having a chunk blasted away by Blakes head. Splinters raining down over the two before they hid behind another tree. Blake peeking out to just see the massive damage caused to the tree. The large trunk bearing a rounded hole at its side the size of a basketball.

"fuck, do they have a cannon?!" Blake exclaimed.

* * *

"fuuuuck!" wicker roared out in pain. A crackling sounding out from a snapped collar bone. Shifting the gun to move it away from the broken bone.

"sir, do you want one of us to-" a soldier began to offer.

"back off! Wicker roared.

"only i am taking this kill!" he thought in his head, ready to fire again.

"move faster so I can get this over with!" he shouted into his radio. Angrily throwing it to the side.

* * *

"we have to make a run for it." Val breathed. The circling men drawing dangerously close. Blake nodding nervously in agreement.

"ill go first." he breathed, getting ready to run. Bolting out only 5 feet till a blast had him fall back. Rock and gravel flying in all directions from the ground. A ditch left behind just in front of Blake. Vals heart jumped into her chest having her bolt out to yank Blake of the ground to run again. Just being missed by another shot at there heels.

After Blake was up and running the two spread from each other. Blasts switching between the two stirring up large amounts of dust. The dust buying momentary seize of fire till Blake made it into the water. Slipping deep to reach a large rock to hide behind.

"val!" he yelled. Chest tightening at the realization she was gone. Looking around frantically to make sure she wasn't laying dead anywhere. Unable to get a full look by a bullet ricocheting off the rock he was holding onto. Scaring him into letting go as sparks flew over him.

He panicked with the rushing water yanking him away. Wave after wave of rushing water pounding him down to the rocky floor. He tried desperately to grab anything he could to stop himself. Everything being far too slippery with water or slick algae to get a grip.

* * *

"fucking piece of shit!" wicker roared, standing to his feet with the gun as he watched Blake escape down the stream. Having both escape with nothing to show for it, but a broken collar bone, dislocated shoulder, and two fractured ribs.

"I'm getting at least one!" he shouted out over the cliff edge. Standing tall to aim the rifle down toward Blake. All the soldier behind him having their eyes go wide at the sight.

"sir don't-!" one soldier shouted as he ran to stop wicker. Not making it in time as wicker released a shot. The un-suppressed kick throwing him off his feet to slam him hard back into the ground. Sickening crunches ringing out all over as he landed. The gun itself managing just to miss his rib cage, creating a deep dent into the hard dirt. The metal twisting at the impact to create a large crack along the barrels end.

Wicker letting out screeches and cries of uncontrolled pain. Managing to roll onto his side in pain to shakily snap the shoulder brace off. Looking down at the gun in seething anger. Throwing it off the cliff edge after seeing the cracked barrel. The site of a million dollar gun being tossed away having the soldiers panic.

"what did you do that for?!" one asked.

"the barrel twisted till it split, its a hunk of junk now." wicker hissed in pain as a group slowly helped him up.  
"we could have fix it! The CEO's going to be pissed-" another started.

"she is not going to find out about this, you hear me! If I hear anything about her finding out all of you will pay!" he shouted, yanking the speaker down by his caller. Despite the massive pain it caused him.

* * *

Blake reached out desperately for the hundredth time. Managing to grab onto the top of a large rock. He gasped for a deep breath of air while clawing his way out of the water. Collapsing on the rocky river shore with a wheeze of breath. He laid there exhausted on the rocks till he caught his breath. Shivering from the cold as he rose from the ground. Leaning against a large rock to wring out his clothes. Wiping off his glasses of all the built up water.

"fuck!" Blake shouted as he saw his wet food bag. Pulling it out to pour the ruined food into the river.  
"okay, Val said to meet at the lake." the rivers calming down here, can't be far." he mumbled with a shiver. Unsteadily walking with the great urge to get away from the area.

"hope they're far behind." Blake breathed out as he walked through the darkness. Staying close by the rivers edge. Speeding up his walk when he heard howling behind him further up the river.

"shit!" he thought, running to the forest. Gathering supplies for a fire as fast as he could. Making a shoddy torch that could barely stay alight from all the water he dripped onto it.

Keeping a hand by it as he hurried to find some sort of shelter in the area. Fearfully running thru the dark forest with the sound of rustling running up behind him. Stopping at the glimpse of a corner of a wood building. Quickly running up to it to look for a doorway. Seeing a large water wheel on the side with logs at the top of the square building.

"saw mill?" Blake thought, tossing his dead torch to the side to climb the waterwheel. Standing at the top to catch his breath.

"stay here till morning, then travel down river." he thought. Suddenly startled by a hand on his shoulder.

"blake." Val spoke, helping him calm down.

"geeze, thought you were shot!. Didn't see you get to the water. You okay?" he spoke while calming down. Ending with a question of concern.

"i wasn't hit, thought you were though. Saw the sparks go by your head at that rock." she tiredly sighed.

"no, I made it okay. Heard wolves not to far though right out of the water. The emergency food in my bag was ruined. Ran here afterwards … what is this?" he asked, feeling exhausted after all the stress.

"old saw mill, didn't know it was here. Or at least that it existed after all these years. It was made when Templegate was first being built. Knoth always talked about this place to preserve it. Like a founding father building of sorts to "preserve Templegate history". Glad to know its rotting to the ground now." Val spoke, kicking a rotting board off the roof.

"pretty far to collect logs from." Blake stated.

"mother said they tried building along another lake, but the ground flooded every rain. Shifted the land far too much between rain and droughts." she explained, sitting down.

"are we going to wait here till morning? Should we make a fire?" he asked, sitting down himself.

"wolfs around here won't let us get far. don't want to be seen by that gunman again. They might follow the river and pass us by tonight. All that's left is to sleep till morning." she spoke.

"would be nice to have a fire right now." he shivered.

"sleep close if you want to stay warm." Val suggested, laying close by him. Blake hesitantly laying down after a minute of thought. Falling asleep the minute he closed his eyes.

The next morning he awoke being back to back with Val. Getting up with a stretch while wincing at the rising sun.

"no sign of the men." he thought,looking carefully at his surroundings. Suffering a minor heart attack when he saw Vals back covered in blood.

"val?!" he spoke with worry at the thought of her being dead. Calming down as he saw her breathing. He looked over her finding the blood a deep red surrounding the old bullet wound. He swallowed as he pressed on the area. Trying to get a look through the bullet hole left in her shirt over the spot. Val sitting up with a painful hiss as the sensitive spot was pressed. She glared at him with a look demanding answers to his action.

"you have a lot of blood on you. The stitches must have popped." Blake stated, highly concerned over the wound. Val stood up to pull her shirt a bit more to the side to see her back better. Gasping in surprise at the mass amount of blood. She rushed down to the ground back to the water without a word to Blake.

"wait, don't run!" he yelled to her. Worried she may bleed out after so much blood loss. Running after her to the water. Watching her stand there, unclothed, to examine the wound using the water as a mirror to even see it. Blake stood there wanting to offer help, but he was sure of what her answer was going to be.  
"let me look at it." he spoke gently.

"no." she stood firm.

"you cant even reach it!" he snapped. Seeing how she wasn't using her arm with the hurt shoulder like usual. Holding it close to her chest as if it were broken. Wincing when ever she had the shoulder blade twitch near the wound. He didn't even get an answer from her that time.

"are you sure you got the bullet out?" he repeated the question with a confronting tone.

"yes." she spoke through gritted teeth. Beginning to carefully wash the blood off her back.

"somethings wrong if its not healing." he insisted.

"the stitches are just popped." she waved off. Scrubbing her clothes next of the large bloodstain. Keeping the arm on the wounded half stiff in movement.

"and there was absolutely no scabbing of any kind? The wolf bite in my leg is a bigger hole and its almost completely shut!" he continued, knowing she was still ignoring him as she scrubbed at the blood with her hand.

"... you said I needed to learn how to take care of myself. Let this be a lesson about how to treat wounds. Let me look at it!" he insisted.

"oh yes, let you carve into my shoulder. What a wonderful idea." she spoke sarcastically while scrubbing.

" ...was the bullet in one piece when you got it out?" he asked, not knowing what else he could possibly suggest. Val closing her eyes with a pause followed by a defeated sigh.

"...no." she stated.

"maybe there's one piece left that's deep. I can pull it out at least." he offered gently. Val was quiet for a time to think, taking a long deep breath before nodding. Getting redressed to go sit on a large rock on shore. Keeping the upper half of her clothes hanging low for Blake to see the wound clearly. When he approached he noticed multiple scars covering her skin. Old claw marks by human hands, possible knife scars, some being large enough to create an obvious dip, along with recognizable burn marks scattered all over. He gently looked into the wound, noticing multiple silver shards glinting from the light.

"i need to find something I can use for tweezers. There are a bunch of shards I can see that are pretty deep." he said, not saying anything about carving into it. He didn't want to scare Val right at the start.

"use a pair of cactus needles. Just make sure not to have them get stuck too." she spoke to him. Blake nodding before going on a small hunt nearby. Looking over a few cacti till spotting one with thick long needles. Carefully picking two from the tough hide to return with.

Carefully looking into the wound again as he slipped the cactus needles in. plucking out one small shard resembling a jagged triangle. The next one took a bit of shifting to unhook the long jagged piece. Val hissing and tensing at the pain of metal being pulled from her. The last shard was the most difficult. It looked small, but as Blake began pulling it just kept coming. A large shard with multiple edges slicing through like a razor blade. Once free the blood pooled out of the deep wound. Blake taking a guess that the big piece was possibly shredding through with every movement. The point of Val throwing dust having pushed it deeper from the action.

"all the pieces are out." he announced happily.

"wonderful." Val spoke through the aching pain in her shoulder.

"get me my bag so I can make the paste for the hole." she breathed.

"i can make it." he offered. Getting a raised head of acceptance from Val.

"ill measure and show you what they do. You can mix and spread it." she stated as he grabbed her bag to bring it over. Her digging through it for the first plant.

"if your applying it to an open wound, you only want just enough to spread a thin layer. If your going to eat it. Treatments you eat must be taken as a tea or raw. Application to wounds needs to be a paste texture, excluding burns which can be solved with aloe vera. There are rare cases where you'll need to make an oil from a plant.  
First thing is this." she explained, holding up a small plant with many tiny white flowers.

"this can stop bleeding along with preventing infection. This will be the base for many wound mixtures. Next is lavender, that helps the inflammation go down." she continued, adding a bit of purple flower petals to the small hand pile.

"and the wild lettuce shoots which you eat to relieve pain. Eat them raw, or cook them to reduce the flavor." she said, eating into the shoot as she handed over the other herbs.

"mix that with a splash of water till it turns to a paste, then spread. Don't add too much water or you'll dilute the herbs. Too much water also makes the paste fallout." she instructed. Waiting as Blake carefully grinded the herbs down with a few rocks. Making sure he made it similar to how Val created it.

Returning with the finished paste to apply. Quickly cleaning the blood away before spreading the paste into the wound. The blood slowly stopping its slow pour from the wound.

"now are the stitches. Just two will be enough." she informed, setting up the needle and thread for him.  
"you know how to sow?" she asked.

"a little, I've fixed a few holes in my clothes before." he spoke, examining the stitching needle. Carefully sowing the wound shut with an X crossing the wound shut. Tying it off with double knots to prevent it from coming loose. Biting the needle free from the tie to hand it back.

"at the lake I can teach you how to fish." she said while putting the hook away.

"did you used to teach your followers all this?" Blake asked curiously.

"i tried at first, but it was more trouble than it's worth." she sighed when she stood to walk out of the water. Setting her clothes back into place at the shore.

"why?" he questioned.

"just because they left Knoth, doesn't mean they were any more loyal to me. All of them were used to living just above dirt in rank. Everyone wanted a piece of the leader at one point. Get there pound of flesh from one another to feel better. Immediate satisfaction was what they wanted after being deprived for so long.

When I had to sleep I always had to sneak away and hide. Taking chances by sleeping with someone wasn't working well anymore. I had to be aggressive about everything. Gave up on herb collecting after being unable to leave my clan for a moment. Every time I was gone for longer than 5 minutes everyone fought for my place.

We weren't any better off then Templegate. You happened to catch a rare ceremony, most the time its pure survival. Fighting for food, fighting to keep your place, or just fighting for entertainment. Without medicine things had to be strict, in line, to keep them alive. You got sick you were cast out, too injured had you be put out of your mercy. After a few were put into the fire things were under control for the most part.

They stopped fighting over every little thing, but that left me as the only mark for their anger. Had to be careful who I walked with. Couldn't talk to anyone about anything that could show weakness. Took them out for knoths men to satisfy their blood lust. I saw the poison affecting them overtime making them worse." she spoke as they walked along the rocky shore down river.

"and the poison didn't affect you?" Blake asked rhetorically with a look of skepticism.

"it did, I don't deny it." she spoke honestly.

"did … like it still doesn't." he picked at her words.

" it … doesn't. … Not as much as it used to." Val spoke with difficulty on explaining.

"how so?" Blake pushed.

" … it's … you saw the darkness to didn't you? … you were their longer … didn't you feel different after waking? Like something deep inside left you. Pain,lust, or a deep anger?" she tried explaining.

"the pressure." he thought with a heavy swallow. He did feel different, drastically different. All throughout Templegate he felt sick followed closely by a burning anger or fear. He assumed it was the environment he trudged through. The stench of rot everywhere he went. People trying to kill him left and right. Chased into barbed wire, cacti, slaughter houses, an area of pure disease coated land.

"experiment, control tower, storm, that factory on the river." he thought, remembering the soldiers talking outside temple gate before they rushed in.

"have you seen a metal tower?" he asked Val.

"the one by the factory." she answered.

"i guess it doesn't matter now. I think the factory was doing something, it wasn't just poison. It drove people just as mad though with what they were doing." he spoke.

"how long do you think it went on?" she asked.

"when do you remember the poison coming?" he asked back.

"i am not sure. that was many, many, years ago." she spoke.

"ready to fish?" she asked, gesturing to the lake in front of them. Cracked layered earth surrounding its edges suggesting it used to be bigger before multiple droughts.

"sure." he nodded.

"first we got to find bugs. Or at least something to attract them. Small leaves floating at the surface can trick them temporarily." she informed, plucking a few tiny leaves from a nearby brush.

"actually, with the large rocks spread around. We mite be able to catch some crayfish between them. Those don't need bait, as long as your fast enough." she spoke while walking over to a cluster of rocks. Climbing up one to walk across the others while searching the shallow water.

"found one." she spoke as she slipped closer down to the water. Reaching in with no hesitation to yank out the crawdad by its tail. Quickly tossing it over to the shore by Blake.

"grab it." she told him with a smile.

"shouldn't I be grabbing them from the water? I seriously doubt ill be fishing for them on land." he looked to her with raised eyebrows. Followed by a gesture of throwing his arm up for more trust on gathering food.

"grab that one first before it walks away." Val continued smiling at him. pointing at the small lobster looking thing fleeing back for the water. Blake gave both an annoyed look before reaching toward it. The crawdad stopping to spread is claws aggressively toward the hand.

"grab by the middle, not the front." Val warned with amusement as she watched.

"i know!" Blake grumbled as he attempted to grab the small thing. The creature snapping its craws while walking backwards from Blakes hand. Getting frustrated at the small snaps he reached and grabbed it. Barely taking it by the middle, with a painful reminder he should have, with a hard pinch at his skin.

"ow, shit!" he shouted, trying to pull the thing off his hand. Hearing Val laugh from the rocks not making him feel any better. He examined the pinched skin once the crawdad was removed. A bruised dark mark with a small amount of blood dripping.

"you need to practice with them on land before trying in water." Val smiled at him happily.

"catching them in the water would be easier. I can grab better from a more above view over water." he spoke with an agitated tone.

"show me then. You can catch us breakfast." she challenged.

"fine, move!" he growled, trudging through the shallow water.

"your scaring them by walking through the water." she pointed out, getting a dismissive wave from Blake. He walked around the rocks slowly looking for more crawdads. Slipping between two rocks when he let out a hiss of pain.

"ah!" he yelped with a tight wince.

"step on one?" Val teased with a smile.

"no, I was cut on a branch or something." he spoke, reaching down till he grabbed something strange. Yanking it up to see a long sleek dark red metal. Blakes eyes going wide as he pulled a large gun from under the water.

"looks like a strange hunting rifle." Val spoke, examining the object in Blakes hands.

"it's a sniper rifle, used for war. It's definitely different though with how big it is." he spoke while examining it.

"dry it off, it could still work." she suggested, taking the gun from him.

"no way with that cracked barrel. Probably why who ever tossed it." he spoke while returning to look for crawdads. Val walking over the rocks back to land to aim it at the rocky shore at her feet.. Blake sucking in a startled breath at a large crack into the rocks flinging pieces in different directions. Looking back to Val holding the smoking gun with a smirk.

"still works." she smiled at him.


	11. Questions

"okay great now weregoing toputthatdown." he spoke quickly in a nervous mess. Taking the gun out of Vals hands as if it were an armed bomb.

"how many bullets does it have?" Val asked with excitement over the object.

"i don't know and rather not know. Lets just set it back in the water. It might just be misplaced with someone looking for it." Blake spoke nervously.

"let's take it. It'll come in handy." she suggested, trying to get a better look over the weapon. However, Blake wasn't allowing her to get anywhere near it.

"how, I can't handle this?! Can you?!" he questioned, keeping the weapon from her reach.

"no, but I was raised around guns. Templegate had many hunting rifles for a while. Till the bullets ran dry with no way to obtain more. Everyone was taught about them as tools. Used for hunting or putting a farm animal out of its misery." she answered.

"this gun is a lot different from a hunting rifle." Blake warned.

"how so?" she asked.

"um, these are not given to most people. … okay, but let me hold it." he stated. Finding no reason to get rid of it. All the reason he could come up with came down to laws in civilization. Which they were far from and fleeing for their lives to reach. He wanted to be the holder though for fear Val mite go playing with it.

"check its ammo." she suggested. Blake looking over it for where ever the opening was. He had worked with pistols for a day at the shooting range on a reporting job. Seeing other guns on the job gave him false confidence he could figure the weapon out. Finding not even a slot to load the ammo in.

"what's in there?" she asked over the large barrel attached underneath. Blake looking over it till he ended at a large latch. Popping it oven after applying a large amount of force. Revealing a long hidden coil filled with metal rings holding multiple slender bullets. Seeing a loading point toward the back popping the rings into the barrel.

"like a six shooter." Blake thought, counting the rings filled with bullets.

"no wonder it's so damn heavy. Each ring has 7 bullets, 10 rings. A few have been spent with a empty slot. 61 bullets left in the whole thing." he informed her as he looked over the thing.

"we need to go hunting with this." Val spoke with a grin.

"we should save the bullets." Blake suggested.

"we have to go hunting. We need food before we reach the mountains. Snows toward the tops along with lots of storms. Kill a few deer, get warm clothing, and smoke some meat to preserve. Make a large food stash to replace our lost one." Val talked him into it.

"okay, but I am keeping the gun at all times." he nodded. The idea of another food stash catching a big part of his interest.

"alright. This is a perfect time for hunting too. There beginning to go crazy for the upcoming rut. Markings, tracks, and loud calls should be everywhere." Val talked as she lead Blake off into the forest. Both following along thin streams coming down from the mountains ahead.

"look, already some marks!" Val spoke, heading up to a tree with multiple deep gouges into the trunk. Surrounded by hoof tracks at the roots.

"all these are fresh from a buck. Lots of meat to gather." she spoke quietly as she tracked the deer. Blake moving faster to get ahead of her in preparation for the shot if the deer was spotted. Crouching at the sight of movement ahead past a fallen tree. Feeling angry disappointment when he saw a pack of wolves tearing apart a deer carcass.

"cant even steal the meat." he mumbled. The idea of scaring the wolfs off being useless with the carcass already picked clean. Val looking over the tree to see what Blake was so disappointed over.

"this is even better." she whispered to him.

"how?" he asked.

"warm clothing, they all have fine coats. We could really use that for the snow. Wolf meat is just the same as deer meat." Val informed, gesturing to aim his gun.

"sure they're okay to eat?" Blake asked, watching the wolfs wheeze. Slight twitches happening just like the others he'd seen.

"their not nearly as poisoned as many i've seen. Meat or no meat we really must get the fur at least." she answered.

"how many should I try to get?" he asked.

"as many as you can. They might not run away with that gun being so quiet." she spoke.

"aim for the head, or just behind the arm bone. either of those will kill them quickly." she instructed, helping him set the gun against him and the fallen tree.

He took careful deep breaths to calm himself. Looking through the scope to carefully aim. Picking off one with no notice to the others fighting over the deers rib cage.

"silencer." Blake noted after a lack of bang. Picking off the wolves one by one till there were only three left. Blake pausing as he was afraid to continue. Losing the fear when he saw the remaining wolfs try to eat their own dead.

"very good, set up a smoke pit as I set the furs. We have to move quick before flies start to swarm." she hopped over the log to start moving the wolves to the side in a line. Telling Blake instructions, as she carved the wolves, on how to make a large smoke pit. By the time she was done carving he had finished setting the smoke pit. A slightly dug hole with wood carefully broken into chunks, dampened with water, for slow burning to gain smoke. Making a large tightly woven tent of sorts with layers of basket like areas to hold slabs of meats.

"help me set these in." she said, pointing at the other small slabs of carved meat. Both delicately setting the pieces tightly together on the basket sections. Val shutting the whole thing off with the final side of the smoke tent. Tightly packing it with layered leaves and ties till she was sure it was secured shut. Leaving only two small openings with one being toward the bottom to light the fire and one at the top the size of a quarter.

Val carefully lighting some moss to set over the damp wood chips. Creating a large amount of smoke as the moss burned over the chips. Val letting the pit do its work as she finished setting the furs. Trying to teach Blake how to tan the furs properly with a mixture. That mixture making him far too sick to try after seeing he'd have to mash the animals brains for it. However he did continue listening on the mixture instructions.

"after the meats done how long will it last?" he asked. Washing blood off in a deep puddle collecting by a tree.

"a week, but remember that's all for rationing. You sit and watch everything while I go catch us some rabbits for breakfast. … since you didn't catch it by the rocks." she teased.

"i could have if the gun hadn't stabbed me!" he whined while pointing to the small scratch on his leg. Watching Val till she disappeared from his sight between the trees.

He grew bored after waiting a few hours. Thinking about taking knoths book before a grave realization. All his possessions were soaked from the river.

"fuck, fuck, fuck!" he repeated to himself as he yanked the book out. Quickly flipping through it with a sinking heart. Realizing a bit of good news and bad news. Most the book was completely destroyed, however the pages toward the middle had not suffered as badly. The ink was smeared or blurred yet still readable for the most part.

He sat extremely close to the smoker to gather heat for the book. Hoping to dry it out further to save the pages from more damage. Starting to read a few pages of knoths strange rantings.

* * *

Final harvest of winter cabbage -  
" how dare he! Biting the very hand who blessed him with mercy! Despite my commands he refuses to budge from that building of orphans. I keep telling him that it's a woman's job for child rearing. He had bigger responsibility then this to care for.

He would not listen to me, the very prophet of god. I warned him he would face god's wrath if he did not repent his words. Putting his very position on the line with threats to me over how he rather not follow the path of decon-ship any longer. Claiming that he was possibly the other sex when I reminded him of his past lies of gender. Speaking of false happiness gained as he cared for the abandoned spawn.

I warned him further with punishment over the sins he was suggesting. How many years of lying he had told me. The sin of him uprooting the churches standards for a job only man could handle. The heresy of abandoning the position under gods watch.

He dismissed my threats as hollow. Challenging me to let him go of the deacon position. Willing to accept whatever punishment I gave. Saying nothing could be as horrible after being underneath me. He shouted all this in front of the others. I had to regain control after hearing the whispers of doubts over me."

first day of new year-  
"I gave him my permission for Val to stay with the children while being deacon. A decision I detest fully, but something to keep a hold of for a time. The people have been suffering the sin of envy. Watching Val with his children for the past few days. They have even begun going to him to talk over matters rather than me. I cannot allow this to go any further. I merely bought myself a few minutes giving Val my permission. Trying to keep a hold of my position over him, but even the people are seeing Vals leash slip free from my hands.

They do not realize they sacrifice eternal happiness for quick pleasure. I cannot demand Val to his post without glares of rejection from all the idiots! Marta does her best to help, the faithful soul, but culling the herd with no end bares no useful results. I cannot remove the children either without questioning while I have no reasons to give. I see now who the wolf is. The follower of our enemy is leading my flock to its den. I want to shout false prophets, but I fear i am too late. They follow the wolf with talks of abandoning the sacred land we settled so long ago."

7th day following the new year-  
"I pray for them all, my poor flock that spreads the seeds of doubt of the lord. They're forming against me! I hear all they're whispers for blood to stain the slate. I see shadows following me from the far trees. God tells me not to worry of those shadows wandering the mountain sides. I have kept my faith and have nothing to fear.

I tell the lord I shall not fear, but I cannot help but worry over the wolf. He has taken so many to the side of disobedience I can no longer send out commands. If something is not done. I don't know what to do. Even now i am forced to send more lone children to Vals care."

8th day in the month of spring-  
"I spoke with god alone on the mountain. The lord specifically requesting me to come past where the watching demonic shadows prowl. I went just as before when he asked for my eye in return for truth. Being cautious to avoid the mob speaking behind me.

The lords voice warning me of the wolf again that stocks my flock. Telling me he was a servant of the fallen in disguise and I had no way of knowing till now. He had to be punished with righteous fury rained down upon him. The wolf had to be revealed as to not have my flock stray any further. God watched them, heard them, speaking in whispers over my place. If I was true or that the wolfs honeyed words were.

threat of them losing faith with me had settled in their hearts. It was all Vals fault after the attack of my commands. He must be punished. He must relearn the wrath of god. I asked how I shall stop the wolf from bringing further worship to the red dragon of hell. Getting a message I shall follow till the sun dies. The flock wishes to run with the wolf to the outer world of sin.

The Antichrist comes to my flock in the flesh of an innocent. Even the ones already born could be a vessel. The wolf defends them as it is its duty to bring its master into the world. I was commanded to purge the evil seed of all those under 10 winters from birth. Commanded That I had to call the wolf forward to demand loyalty of it to the lord's name. To spill the blood of its master from the fiery depths. A suitable punishment for the heretic to learn the wrath of god."

* * *

"the children massacre." Blake swallowed, knowing where this lead. The books end not being far off from the page.

"could this have really changed people to his side? Did Val just give in without a fight?" he questioned in thought. Many more stacking to cause a migraine in his skull. He wanted to read more, but the rest had chicken scratch ramblings. The final quarter of the book destroyed from water.

"guess its for the best." Blake thought over the destruction of knoths words.

"if I want answers now, i'll have to ask for them." he thought, shoving the book away. He carefully tended to the small fire, adding more soaked chips or moss when needed. Shooing away any rodents sniffing at the furs. The sky growing full of colors as the sun set.

"so much for breakfast." Blake mumbled.

"sorry, I just kept catching them in one spot. I need the extra skins." Val apologized from behind. Showing him a large handful of rabbits when entering the light of the small fire.

"going to make gloves from them?" Blake joked, surprised over the bunch of rabbits.

"wolf fur would be better. Most of these are going to be made for threading the pieces together. The rest for some layering in the exposed areas like around the neck or a mask to keep your breath warm." she spoke, setting up a second fire. Quickly setting the meat to cook and furs out to set with the others.

"if its so bad, how exactly would we have made it by the mountains without the furs?" he questioned.

"there's a low and a high trail. The low was safe without gear, but went the long way around the whole side of the mountain. Many climbs up and down rocky areas. The top made weather survival difficult, but the walk was very clear. A long rocky trail left behind from a seasonal river. During fall and winter it's just rocks, in spring it turns to a flowing river from the melting snow. … there's another issue I must tell." Val spoke. After getting a concerning look from him she continued.

"past this lake I can only go from what i've been told. Never been to the mountains around here. Half the area around here I don't even really remember. We have to stick carefully to the marks of the trail from this point on." she spoke seriously about the matter.

"we've gotten this far." Blake spoke, moving a twig out of his way to sit by the bigger fire. Watching the smoke float up to disappear into the sky. Staring upwards to look over the stars before looking back toward Val.

"should we worry about the fire being spotted?" he asked.

"trees will hide it. Were also too out of the way for them to see us unless they trudge specifically this way." she spoke, turning over each of the cooking rabbits.

" … do you still have faith?" he asked her. Wanting to chip away at least a few of his building questions. She tensed at the question with a hard swallow. Looking over the lined rabbits as if they'd have an answer.

" … cannot say. I grow tired of god and his demons, but there is always worry for the end." she answered quietly.

"you must have some faith. You're always wearing that cross with beads around your neck. Even after you abandoned Knoth." Blake mentioned. Having Val grab at the hanging cross to hold.

"... it was my mothers." she spoke with a slight smile that soon disappeared.

"... it's really nice after being worn for so long." Blake complimented.

"thanks, took me a while to gather enough teeth to replace all the missing beads." Val mentioned of the memento, turning the rabbits over again in the fire. The dark mentioning having Blake go silent.

"... maybe I don't want to go down this rabbit hole of answers." he reconsidered in thought after the dark information. Awkwardly sitting there quietly before asking something else against his better judgment.

"why did you want to be knoths deacon?" he questioned.

" I was young, stupid, didn't know what I was getting into. I know now I should have stayed away. Far, far, away in the mountains. I bought all the lies and promises Knoth gave me." she answered with a tone leaning toward anger. Pulling the skewered rabbits from the fire. Leaving two out on a layered stack of leaves, the rest set into the smoker.

"those rabbits won't preserve like the rest of the meat, but won't spoil for a day. Breakfast will be ready when we wake." she informed.

"how'd your mother care for you?" he continued with the questions. Starting to pick at the rabbit he set in his lap.

"you're very interested in questions." Val pointed out, picking at her rabbit for a piece to eat.

"i am a reporter, it's my job to ask all the questions I can. Are questions not allowed?" he asked, realizing how this was beginning to sound like an interview.

"questions were not accepted. Asking things caused many to lose their tongues or be marked as a message to the rest." she answered with a imagined knife flicking gesture at her jaw hinge.

"ask your questions, I never found them threatening." she stated, eating a bite of meat without a care.

"your mom." he reminded her of the question. Chewing down a piece of leg.

"that's far in the past. I don't see the purpose in bringing it up." she stated. No longer eating the rabbit as she fiddled with a rib bone in hand. Blake thought about the next question to ask. He wanted to start at the beginning to work his way up. Now Val was pushing him to skip ahead.

"were you …. how did … how was it working under Knoth." he tried to carefully ask. Trying to see how she felt, but the answer was pretty obvious.

"hell." she stated, throwing the rib bone to the fire.

"were … were you depressed?" he outright asked. Swallowing down a barely chewed piece of meat.

"no, numb was more accurate." she spoke, taking another bite of meat.

"were you ever happy?" he asked. Val freezing up at the question with a blank stare down at her food.

"what's the purpose of these questions?" she asked coldly.

"figure out how things were like before. It sounds like -" Blake spoke, interrupted by Val with a confronting tone.

"your lying. What are you looking for?" she glared intently with suspicion.

"answers." he mumbled.

"to what?!" she snapped. Standing fast with enough anger to scare Blake to his feet.

" … you and Knoth had a power war for a time. Knoth was becoming afraid when you rejected him to take care of the kids. So he talked to god and … told you to kill them. Why-" Blake explained, stopping when Val aggressively stepped toward him.

"how do you know all this?!" she shouted with painful anger.

" I heard towns people talking-" he nervously started.

"liar!" she roared. Scaring Blake back with the bringing out of her knife.

"did Knoth tell you something?! Did you worship him?!" she questioned, walking close with her knife pointed toward him.

"n-no, no!" he repeated, arms held out defensively in front of him as he backed up.

"did he send you on a crusade to spread his gospel to the new world?!" she growled furiously.

"no! i-" he exclaimed, sucking in a breath of air as he fell over a large branch. Landing painfully on the uneven ground with a tree root digging into his spine. Getting the same breath forced out of him with a leg slamming into his chest. Pinning him to the floor with a knife shoved up against his side.

"val- Val please i-" Blake fearfully talked under her. Flinching his body away from the knife with little success.

"shut up!" she shouted down at him. Blake going quiet with eyes closing tightly with a wince as the knife slowly pierced his skin.

"where did you learn this?!" she demanded the answer.

"its written!" Blake answered, keeping his eyes shut.

"where?!" she shouted.

"my pocket, its knoths journal!" he quickly blurted out. Tensing as Val began searching all over him. Yanking out the leather bound book when she found it. Blake laying still under her as he watched her flip through the book. Her body slowly calming down as she scanned the pages.

"where'd you get this?!" she questioned again.

"knoths room, back in the town. It was hidden under the floorboards. I think he didn't want anybody to find it." Blake stated. Calming down as the knife was removed from his side.

"why do you have it?" she growled, yanking him to sit up by his shirt.

" something strange was going on. It didn't start as bad then suddenly things broke down. The strangers are from a company called Murkoff. I think they were messing with the town somehow. With those towers by that factory being a huge part of it. I wanted to try and figure out how long this had gone on. I also fully believe that "God" was something they set up from the factory. I thought it mite ... help when I get back, ... I guess." Blake admitted.

"help how?" she asked, releasing his shirt.

"murkoff was caught doing something similar at a secluded asylum in the mountains. They were ripped apart for a while, but government never caught the leaders. Only the small workers and doctors left at the facility. If I bring something as evidence back that marks Murkoffs involvement here. They'll take over the area. Burn it to the ground after ripping it apart for anything they could on what went on." he explained.

"i don't know if that book will work now. It's been ruined by the river." he spoke with defeat.

"hm." Val hummed before getting off him. Tossing the book back to him. Blake just managing to catch it in his lap when sitting back up.

"any private thoughts about me in there?" she asked in monotone, returning to her barely touched rabbit.

"after you left I don't think any of the private thoughts about you were private anymore." Blake answered honestly. Retrieving his rabbit from atop a rock it landed on.

"want to heat it up?" she asked, setting her own rabbit back on the fire. Setting Blakes rabbit after he handed it over with a nod.

"... sorry." she apologized with a gesture to where she almost stabbed him.

"i don't want knoths word getting out either. Last thing this world needs is more nutjobs popping up just like him. Maybe its for the best that most of this book was ruined." he shrugged a shoulder. Shoving the book back down into his bag.

"... you think they made the voice of god?" she asked after a pause.

"yes. They got more and more frequent after the "horns" followed by light. I've heard stories talking about radio waves messing with objects if the signal was strong enough. I think those towers were giving off a strong signal with the bright lights being a cover. Could try and bring that to attention." Blake explained.

" … do they bring visions?" she asked.

"if they can force a voice into someone's mind. I don't doubt that they could do imagery too." he nodded.

* * *

Wicker tapped his fingers along the medical bed rails impatiently. Arm in a sling with a chest cast keeping him locked in bed.

"sir, i've told you we cant let you go. You need to rest and heal." a doctor advised.

"fix me now!" wicker bared his teeth from the bed.

"yelling will not get you anywhere." the doctor spoke. Unaffected by wickers 50th threat on his life.

"murkoff has to have some medical thing in the back of this lab. What about that devil Armour Barker used. That shit reinforced his bones!" he shouted.

"it reinforced his bones against the suit! The support broke and crushed him in it like a juicer with a grape." the doctor pointed out the flaws.

"i know Murkoffs got work in everything. There has to be something laying around here!" he glared. The doctor sighing as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"the same we used for your jaw. Metal fixture plates on the broken bones. It'll get you up on your feet. Make you a little more protected from attacks in only the broken places. You can't treat it like defensive Armour if I place it!" the doctor stated firmly on the ending notice.

"i'll take it!" wicker accepted.

"of course you will. Don't be dumb like Barker." the doctor stated.

"i'm not that insane freak!" wicker roared, throwing a food trey that just missed the doctor. Grabbing the radio by his bed.

"you idiots find where they are?" wicker spoke into the radio.

"no sir, but we have a pretty good guess of where there going to be. They're lined up with the marker town trail with the nearby mountains. If there trying to make it, that's the way they'll take." a man spoke into the radio.

"perfect. Get men hiking to the top and a helicopter scanning the lower parts. Hook everyone up with heat sensors. We can close them in at the top, bring them to the lab after. Ill be flying out there to meet up with you." he commanded.

"yes sir. We also have to report no one can get a hold of the CEO. Is the high tower being tested?" the man asked.

"yes. I'll worry about the CEO later, you just get moving." he lied over the tower.

"get moving! I want out of here in 5 minutes!" he shouted at the doctor with a glare. Getting a uncaring look in return.

The following morning Blake woke to the sun. greatly missing the use of curtains so he could sleep in. he looked around after seeing Val missing from her sleeping spot besides him. Standing up as he searched around him for her whereabouts.

"fires getting low." he thought at the notice of the smoke house being a bit low on smoke. He gathered a small bit of moss to toss into the small fire pit. Looking off toward the direction of the lake, wondering if that's where she head. He stepped forward to head toward the lake, stopping himself after going only a foot.

"the food." he thought, looking back at it.

"The supplies shouldn't be left alone." he thought, looking over to the prepared furs nearby.

" … i'll be back quickly. I'll just run to the lake and look, then head right back." he thought. Heading off to the lake.

He made it to the end of the treeline. Searching over the rocky shore he could see from where he was. Spotting Val leaning against a large tree. Calmly looking out over the vast wilderness in front of her.

"you okay?" he asked quietly, walking over to be at her side.

"yes, only thinking." she answered, unmoving without even a glance toward him.

"about what?" he asked.

"a few things. What will I do after we reach the town, being one." she answered. Blakes heart sinking into his stomach. He never thought of that question.

"there's no way she'll make it in regular society. It's like walking into another dimension compared to where she was raised. Having actual laws and standards. She doesn't even have the basics like a birth certificate. She technically doesn't exist to society." he thought. The world around them feeling silent for their thoughts. Then came the question of what he was going to do in town.

"get some money to flee with. Get in touch with the FBI to investigate this whole thing. … leave Val." he thought. Before they started this journey he didn't care what happened to her, but now.

"i can't be attached. I need to forget this." he thought with a thick swallow.

"… abandoning her at the step of a new world would be cruel though." a tiny voice in the back of his mind spoke sadly.

"... so what will you do?" he asked.

" head back to live in the mountains. A place i am more used to." she answered.

"..." He stood there wanting to say something, but there was nothing he could say.

"that would be safer for her." he thought.

" … but a lonely existence." the tiny voice talked again.

Val stood from the tree without another word to walk back to camp. Blake watching her from the ending tree line. Following her trail a little after she had gotten ahead.

"the meat should be ready by now. Leaving them in till I finish off the furs just to be sure." she told him as he arrived back. Handing him one of the smoked rabbits stored from the night. Him giving her a nod to show he heard as he took the rabbit. Twisting the stick, attached to the rabbit, around in his hands. Even now, despite the birds singing their morning songs, the world felt too quiet. There journey still had a long way to go. It bought time to think on some things.

Val looked over each fur with a rub against the dry underside. Biting pieces off her rabbit in between. Taking out her knife for making strips with the rabbit furs. Stopping at the sound of a helicopter approaching. Hearing the approaching sound Blake ran over to cover the smoker. Making sure the smoke quickly dissipated before rising too high. Both waited and listened to the chopping sound. Turning there heads as they followed the direction of the sound. When it slowly faded out, Blake uncovered the smoker. Going into a coughing fit as a smoke cloud rose into his face.

"its heading toward the mountain trail." Val stated, eating another bite of rabbit as she slowly went back to work.

"great." Blake sighed.

"is there anything I should do? Your working on the furs here. No use having me stand watch too." Blake asked.

"foraging would be good for you. Teach you how to identify things. Build up supplies while you learn." she spoke, looking into her bag to grab a small sample of a few herbs. Carefully describing how each of the full version plant looks. The rest of the day Val worked the furs with Blake hunting for plants around the lake edge. Toward later in the day Val had finished setting up warmer clothing.

"these are yours." she said, tossing a set of warm wolf clothing.

"wow." he spoke amazed as he looked over the clothing. Definitely didn't look like the waving puffy fashion coats in magazines. A thick ruffled collar at the top that extended into a hood. layers going around the shoulders. Small holes made usually for buttons, were now used with the removed fangs of wolves. strung to the other half of the jackets front. Different rings of fur to strap tightly across his legs. A string of rabbit furs to create a scarf. Along with a pair of wolf gloves, and a shoe like set made from rabbit fur.

"that fur goes inside your shoes, not out. Make sure they don't get wet either or your feet will suffer." she pointed to the shoe like set in his hands.

"are we moving to the mountain today or tomorrow? It'll be pretty late when we get there." he asked.

"today, we can hide in the dark from that flier. I assume it won't be the only thing searching there." she answered. gesturing for Blake to hand over the food bag with some smoked meat in hand. He handed it for her to fill, turning back to the clothing set to carefully pack into a traveling roll.


	12. Deep freeze

they left the small camp with their warm clothing slung around a shoulder, the gun slung over the other for blake. He let out a few deep calming breaths after a bit of walking into the higher altitudes. His lungs were always used to just above sea level not the highlands.

"geeze, get a hold of yourself." he thought to himself as he painfully wheezed. Confused on if it was the lack of air in the mountain lands or his asthma acting up from difficulty walking steep slopes.

"just look forward." he wheezed as he walked along.

Night arriving by the time they found, what he assumed to be, the seasonal river. A small channel of smoothed rocks clustered together just like the bottom of a river. Smoothed out sand with defining edges of where the water flowed down.

"just follow this through the mountain then … down to a canyon … through a forest and a waterfall. Then we'll be at the town." Blake wheezed.

"just about." Val said to him, standing by for Blake to catch his breath. Blake continued along with a shiver. The cold being much worse the farther he followed the frozen channel.

"shouldn't we wait for you to catch your breath?" Val asked.

"i am not sure if that's even possible. … this mountain is lacking the air. … cant talk, mite pass out." he wheezed, getting lightheaded already after a couple sentences.

"can you stand to go further? There's still higher climbing ahead." Val spoke with both concern and mild warning over Blakes worsening condition. He nodded his head as he walked on, taking deep breaths with every step. Stopping at the sound of a crunch underneath his boot.

"snow?" he thought. feeling the sudden cold underneath it.  
"snow in Arizona. Hell has finally frozen over." Blake joked to himself as he trudged up through the snow.

"we should layer up now that we've reached the snow. Watch where you step. The snow can hide some deep holes sometimes." Val spoke as she unrolled the thick clothing.

"no worries … I'll be slow." he wheezed while layering up. Only getting a few feet in the deep snow before stopping from lightheadedness. The layers feeling uncomfortably heavy now that they were no longer in a tight roll on his back.

"fuck." he thought with a heavy swallow.

"need to rest?" Val asked.

"no. … no." he wheezed, attempting to move with only a shaking struggle through his legs.

The sound of a hunting helicopter drawing near making them still at the snows edge. Crouching low against the snow to wait for the menace to pass. Watching the large military copter hover along the mountain side in a slow search. A large beam of spot light scouring over the land.

"they shouldn't notice us while we remain still. We'd just look like rocks from above." Val spoke sitting by Blake as they watched the hovering copter. The once bright spot light shutting off suddenly as it remained still.

"are you sure?" Blake wheezed at the strange action. The hovering threat suddenly snapping to fly in their direction as if they were heard.

"it shouldn't." Val repeated.

Blakes heart jumping into his throat when the helicopter slowed near them. The frightening sound of a machine gun revving up above them. Blake in an instant grabbed Val to bolt from their place in the snow. Bullets whizzing by as it mulched through the snow barely a foot away.

"run!" Blake shouted, as he pushed his body forward despite the wheezing. The copter following them aggressively through the freezing darkness.

"it shouldn't have seen us!" Val spoke as she was ran just ahead of Blake. He didn't have time to answer between his wheezing.

"i have to ditch these clothes." he thought, quickly shedding the layers to lose all the weight dragging him down.

"what are you doing?!" Val shouted as she watched him discard the protective clothing. More bullets whizzing by causing them to separate. Losing sight of each other as they passed by multiple trees in the thickening forest.

Blake taking a hard dive into the thick snow after smashing his leg into a covered rock. He laid there wheezing in pain unable to raise as the helicopter dangerously approached. He laid there frozen underneath the snow for his painful death to come. Watching the helicopter pause over head for a moment, taking a slow turn as if scanning the area before bolting toward the direction Val went.

"did it see me?" Blake thought confused. It spotted them so clearly from afar, what changed? He wheezed a little longer to regain his breath. Jumping to his feet at the far echoing sound of gunshots.

"she'll be alright. she'll be alright." he swallowed thickly with tears building up in his eyes as he ran through numbing wind. Heart jumping into his throat when he heard more distant gunshots. He watched a small amount of red light at the bottom of the copter. The only thing he was able to see in the current darkness. By how fast the small light moved he could tell It was viciously chasing something.

"they couldn't have found her." he thought. Nearly jumping out of his skin as a bullet blasted a chunk of earth away from his legs. He had no time to look where the bullets origin was. Only running to the nearest group of trees. Looking around the large trunks to see a group of foot soldiers walking toward him with bright red goggles. Covered in thick black gear made for defended insulation in the cold.  
He pulled out the long rifle from around his shoulder. Discovering through his aim that he could actually see through the dark. Blasting the leg of two men before the rest grew smart enough to hide by cover. Blake jumping when the helicopter shot off more bullets. Going farther and farther away into the distance.

With quick thinking he looked through the scope to aim at the small amount of see able windshield. Blasting off a few rounds in short burst. The sudden assault catching the flier off guard enough to have it almost crash into a nearby tree. Just barely making it away from the tree trunk in time, but not without damage. The rotor blades being choked by sudden branch hitting having a lasting impact. Blake watching from afar as the helicopter flew off with smoking circling about the red light. blades cutting in and out of rotating by the distant sounds of it.

"please be okay!" he thought over Vals situation, turning back to his own with the armed strangers nearby. Hearing them yell about something from their hiding spot. Going quiet after a moment of talking on their side. Blake growing nervous over the sudden silence distracting him from the outreaching hand from the darkness. Grabbing a hold of him by the front of his shirt.

His whole body slammed into the lightly snow covered rocky surface dirt. Flinching at being yanked back up to his feet. Opening his eyes to see a large man looming over him with a black metal mask covering the lower half of his face. Seeing more glinting metal over other areas. Blake flinched at the man's fist going up to punch. Reflexively squeezing the gun in his hands to prepare for the hit. Instead hearing a loud bang with a screech of pain following after. Having accidentally shot off the rifle into the man's leg.

"you fucking bastard!" wicker roared down onto him. Beating Blake down with even more anger as he tried to struggle free from his grasp. Yanking the gun away from Blake before yanking him up from the blood covered snow. Keeping it difficult for him to grab any footing as wicker yanked him out into the open.

Blake struggled and twisted around in his clothing, finally getting free with a kick to the mans bottom jaw. Mainly on pure accidental luck as Blake was aiming for his chest. Being harshly dropped to the dirt giving Blake another chance to kick the man in the gut. Grabbing the now dropped gun before bolting away in the direction of Val.

Blake feeling sick to his stomach as blood filled his mouth. Spitting or drooling out a trail of blood. Feeling his lip cut in two places. his nose having the great possibility of being broken along with a few side ribs. There was a lot of yelling from the masked man behind his trail. Blake being far too scared of another beating to look back.

"fuck, fuck, fuck." he repeated in thought through the darkness. Peering through his night scope the entire way as he ran to be able of seeing anything in front of him. A snow storm stirring up thick blasting winds along a wall of white flurry.

Choking up at the sight of something red covering parts of a damaged tree. The marks being obvious bullet holes. Coming close Blake could see the red shine under his scope. Confirming his suspicion of its origins. He looked down the tree trunk with the scope following the blood down to a large amount soaked in the snow. His own blood dripping from his nose to mix into the snow as well. The clean snow making the liquid stand out all the more.

"fuck." he thought again, following footprints leading along a trail of blood. Rushing his search despite his asthma kicking him in the lungs as the storm threatened to take more and more of the trail away. The farther he followed the tail the more bullet damage and blood he found. Leading off a edge into a dark abyss.

"val!" Blake shouted down to the darkness. Hearing his own voice echo back to him on the howling wind. He looked down through the scope, seeing the bottom wasn't too far. Getting down low before slipping off the edge to land on the hard ground below. Looking again through the scope for some sort of tracks. Discovering another large pool of blood leading up to a partially covered body laying in the snow.

Blake stumbled close to carefully examine the body. Heart sinking as he felt the fur clothing soaked in slick blood. He looked through the scope to see her unconscious body through the darkness. Seeing the large wounds covering her side.

"The helicopters gun must have gotten her entire side." he thought with a shiver at the cold. Feeling her breathing shallowly he thought to quickly stitch the wounds shut before moving her. The time to do so being stressed as he heard other voices echoing through the trees.

He swallowed thickly while fumbling through his bag. Grabbing stitching wire to try his best at the fastest stitch job in the world. He had no time to properly treat it through cleaning or even in making sure no bullets were left lodged under the skin. He reached the middle wounds when he heard the voices drawing dangerously near.

"bloods freezing. With this much missing i am sure the bodies freezing just the same. At least I'll have one body to throw in the lab." wicker growled, following the trail using a pair of night goggles.  
Blake tied off the final stitch with shaky hands. Picking up the cold Val in his arms to follow the ditch. Realizing he wouldn't get far with Val continuing to leave a trail of blood behind. Taking out bandages to sloppily, but quickly wrap her entire chest. No time to see if it was too tight before spreading clean snow to cover their tracks. running with her again down the rocky ditch.

Wicker let out a growl as he reached the bloody trails end. Finding a lack of tracks to follow from there.

"half follow me this way, the rest of you go the other way." he huffed.

"what about your leg?" one officer spoke.

"its fine, the metal will support me." he grumbled, hopping down into the rocky ditch. Becoming frustrated as all his metal joints locked up. The cold having the shifting lubricant freeze up. Wicker let out a growl as he forced the joints free from the quickly forming ice. Chunks of the important liquid cracking off to the ground.

Blake ran as far as he could till his lungs burned. Now he was running into another problem, the cold was taking over. He had no protection besides Val with her coat, but even she was getting dangerously cold now. He followed the steep rocky mountain side as far as he could.

the snow storm blowing in gifting time with there tracks well covered. The storm taking time as well in how much longer both could survive the cold. He was panicking inside as his world of visibility became a wall of white on one side and dark rock face on the other. The only positive being the sun slowly rising to light up all the white.

He stopped momentarily against a large tree. Looking desperately for some kind of shelter. Spotting a dip in the mountain side he rose back to his feet. Trudging his way through the heavy snow to reach the small half room like area. The winds blowing away from the cave kept the snow away, but the large entrance didn't allow much trapping of heat.

"fire." was the first thing that popped into his mind. Grabbing whatever roots were growing between the rock walls. Shakily striking two rocks in his numb hands till a fire sparked alive. Blocking it as well as he could from the small amount of cold wind passing by.

"this fires not going to be any good if the heat cant stay around here." he thought. Looking to Vals bloody fur jacket.

"i really need to block this, but the coats keeping her warm. But its covered in blood and is probably attracting all sorts of bacteria that could infect her wounds." he thought back and forth on taking it to block the entrance.

"it would be temporary, just till I get things stable and the storm goes. Then I can make a block with branches when I can travel out." he thought, carefully moving Val to be close to the fire so as not to lose too much heat.

Pinning the jacket across the entrance by cramming pieces into nooks and crannies in the wall. It almost covered the entire entrance besides a few holes around the edges.  
"feels warmer already." Blake tried thinking optimistically. Now he had to check over Val again to properly treat her. At least he had light this time around instead of a slim gun scope.

He undid all the awkward stitches he set before. Carefully looking for any bullet fragments left behind. Which there were along with multiple wood shrapnel sticking to the blood on her skin. Cleaning the wounds couldn't take long with the bleeding. All the blood covering her he couldn't do anything about. Grinding up a mix of herbs she had taught him about earlier. Delicately smearing the thick cold paste across the long row of wounds. Carefully stitching the multiple holes till he could re-bandage her chest again.

He let out a deep calming breath as he finished. Thinking on what else he could possibly do.  
"wash my hands." he thought, looking at his blood smeared arms.

"look like I murdered someone." he mumbled as he got up. Going over to scrub his arms with handfuls of snow. Making a snowball to hold against his aching face. Feeling his nose shift at the pressing of snow having him hiss out in pain. Feeling more blood drip from his nose. Trying his best to clean himself up so he could sit by the warm fire again.

He felt so exhausted yet he just couldn't sleep. Not till he was sure on Vals condition. She was still breathing without any alarming noises, but she was almost as pale as the snow.

Blake tended vigilantly to the fire. Grabbing every single root he could reach to throw into it. Looking out through the holes at the entrance for the storm to pass. Finding it harder and harder to stay awake as the day passed. Some points he wasn't sure if he stayed awake or knocked out momentarily for an hour. He got up to pace a few times. Grabbing snow to eat when he got thirsty. Resting his pained face in a pile of snow he carefully gathered into a pillow shape. Attempting to give Val some water as well through small bits of snow. Hoping she would recuperate blood faster if he did.

"what if she doesn't wake up after a couple of days?" he questioned in thought. The idea going down into depressing territory with possibly digging a future grave. He had absolutely no medical equipment to bring her back if her body fell too far. Dropping snow into her mouth was all he could do for now besides tending the fire.

He waited till he saw the storm recede. Going out to quickly gather up fresh low branches from the nearby trees. Speeding up more at the howls of wolves in the far distance. The larger branches helping to build up a real fire.

"val?" Blake spoke to her unconscious body.  
"val you have to wake up." he shook her gently.

"please wake up. Please." he hoped and prayed in his mind. Sighing when no change seemed to be made. He swallowed thickly, rubbing his face to try staying awake. Feeling more awake than ever when pain rushed up through his face when it was rubbed. He hissed in pain while reaching for a fresh handful of snow to dull the pain away.

Laying down with the more painful side on a pile of snow. Deciding it was best to rest with not much more he could offer to Val in the moment. It all depended on if she would wake or not. His exhausted body falling asleep to the snow numbing his swollen face with the hot fire warming his back.

* * *

"i warned you about the metal. Its does not make you invincible." the doctor nagged wicker as he slowly reheated the lubricant between the metal joints. The liquid having frozen solid during his hunt in the storm. Ice having badly scraped and popped the metal joints out of place.

"a minor set back. Same with that bullet in my leg. More pissed about how that reporter got the gun without the bone shattering knock back." wicker glared at his leg wound the doctor was tending to. Watching as the doctor yanked out the bullet, with a minor hiss of pain coming from wicker. Wrapping it up without much care for cleaning or stitches as wickers impatience over being fixed was running low.

"guns broken after what you did. Throwing it into the river probably changed how it worked as well." the doctor advised.

"i didn't throw it into damn the river." wicker spoke through gritted teeth. His jaw crackling before popping into place.

"put more metal on my damn jaw while your at it." he demanded as he stood tall.

"i told you there's nothing I can do about that. If you weren't so careless and paid just a little attention to your actions you wouldn't get yourself so injured all the time. Keep going like this and you'll end up like Barker." the doctor glared.

"I'll never be Barker!" wicker roared. Grabbing a nearby scalpel to furiously threaten the doctor.

"shut up and fix me like you were hired to do! Or else Murkoff will-!" wicker spoke with a commanding roar. Having to grit his teeth together by the end to prevent his jaw from slacking on one side.

"murkoff will do what? Fire me, send me off for experiments like every other uncooperative worker? Murkoff is reaching its end. Ever since the fall of mount massive and Waylon released-" the doctor stood his ground with a calm glare.

"don't mention that damned name!" wicker loomed over the doctor threateningly. A loud snap ringing from his right jaw hinge.

"why not? The damage is done. Murkoffs getting its final nail in the coffin! Country's are hunting down the facilitys all over this earth. There are only this facility and a few others remaining. This company wasn't the invincible god so many higher officers thought. 2 CEOS dead and one remaining, who i am sure will eventually reach a dead end. Workers all over are revolting!" the doctor waved off wickers command.

"you have a death wish?!" wicker snapped.

"I've had one for a while. Murkoffs taken everything else from me. I cant leave and if i am caught ill end up in jail with everybody else all the same. I find death to be a welcoming peace from every other prison I have now. A riot is growing among the slaves Murkoff can no longer control from their marble throne." the doctor huffed.

Just as the doctor finished wicker slashed the tightly held scalpel. landing a fatal blow at the doctors neck. In an instant blood splattered across wickers face as the doctor fell bleeding out the neck from a cut artery.

Wicker glared down at the body with no remorse. Tossing the scalpel to the side to grab some gauze, wiping the blood away from his face. Shifting his bottom jaw back and forth with another scalpel to adjust its settling place with a tight twist on the metal hinge replacement.

* * *

Blake woke up to his face resting in a cold puddle, the snow having long been melted. He sat up with a painful groan raising a hand to hold his aching head. He looked over to the still unconscious Val. Hoping she will wake up today or else there would be a big problem. Yawning with a stretch to his feet he looked toward the entrance.

"guess it's time to fix up the entrance." Blake breathed out. It was still difficult for him to breath the thin air, fortunately he was no longer wheezing with every breath. Walking out into the cold snow with a shiver up to the large pine trees surrounding the area. Breaking off any low branches covered in thick pine needles. Struggling to drag them back to the entrance to carefully position them in a heavy tight layer. He worked for hours till he was sure that half the entrance was well covered in branch layers covered in patted on muddy snow.

Back inside he made sure to throw more wood onto the fire. Checking on Val for any change. Seeing none he looked back at the fur hanging by the entrance. The new layered branches seemed to be doing a fine enough job keeping the heat in. deciding he could finally take down the fur to return back to Val. Although it was in desperate need of a clean being half covered in a dried blood stain.

He spent a few minutes cleaning it off the best he could in the snow. Draping it back over Val so he could leave to finish closing off the other half of the entrance.

"so much for going over the mountain." Blake thought while dragging more branches.  
"dropped my coat, Vals got a column of holes in her side, helicopters flying over, asthma going to kill me if this air gets any thinner." he grumbled in his head. Padding muddy snow on the new branches.  
"who knows where we are now. That snow storm with all that running took me who knows where. I have no idea where the seasonal river is. Val cant help any further either in where we could be." he thought, letting out a tired sigh as he leaned against the finished entrance. Leaving only a narrow entrance at the very end to go in and out of.

Coming inside Blake was surprised to find Val awake. Sitting up to examine the large hole in her clothes partially hiding her heavily stitched up bandaged side.

"your finally awake, how long have you been up?" Blake asked, feeling a little bad he wasn't paying attention enough to notice.

"not long." she spoke while carefully examining her side stitches. Looking then to her ruined clothes with annoyance at their state.

"i tried my best to make everything okay." he spoke, adding wood onto the fire.

"the stitching fine, I'll have to fix my clothes though. Hate doing that." she spoke as she began to undress. Blake looking away to anything else as he fidgeted to keep himself occupied from looking back. Sitting down a little away from her.

Val didn't mind if Blake looked or not only caring to find the materials needed in her bag. Grabbing the strips of left over leather to use as a thick form of string and a wolf's canine for a needle to pierce holes. Carefully sowing up the large hole in her dress.

"what happened to your face?" she asked. Seeing a large bruise spanning across on the side of Blake's face.

"oh, i was grabbed and punched a few times. I think the swellings gone down a bit, but i am still having a lot of pain in the middle of my face. It'll probably go away entirely in a few days." he spoke while slightly feeling his bruised face. Wincing as he touched near his nose.

"let me see." she said, pausing her sowing. Blake getting nervous about going near Val when she had little clothing on.

"why? just, finish fixing your clothes first." he stated, continuing to avoid looking at her.

"i want to make sure your healing. Just come here for a moment." she spoke gently toward Blakes back that was facing her.

"it's just swelling. I've been putting snow on it. Its going down, it's fine." he stated.

"if you don't come over here and let me look then I'll have to get up and go over there and look." Val lightly warned as she sowed a little more. Pausing again when Blake sighed out of both nervousness and frustration.

He got up and nervously came close to sit near by. Avoiding eye contact or in looking anywhere near her direction as if his life depended on it. Jumping with a flinch away when he felt both her hands touch his face.

"hold still so I can look." she scolded, grabbing him firmly by his bottom jaw to bring his face close again. Blake allowing her to do so as he grumbled in his mind about tolerating this contact. Still looking anywhere else away from her. Growing increasingly nervous the longer he felt Vals hands on both sides of his face.

"i told you it's just swelling it'll-" he started to try and speed up this examination before Val forcefully pressed around his nose that a loud snap was echoed through the room. Val letting go as Blake let out a muffled screech of pain as he covered his pained face.

"what the ffff-" he groaned painfully with his eyes shut tight as water built up in both.

"your nose was crooked. Its fixed now." Val calmly spoke as she returned to sowing her dress again.

"maybe that's just how my nose was!" he shouted out of pained anger.

"i am very sure it wasn't crooked before." she calmly spoke.

"ffff!" he hissed out wanting to shout so many other things but couldn't find his voice for it. The sharp pain finally dulling to an aching pulse having him finally remove his hands from around his face. Opening his watery eyes to take a slow breath through his nose. Discovering it felt completely clear of any blockage. This whole time he just thought the cold was making his nose feel stuffed up not that his nose was broken.

"i have to go put my face in snow again." Blake grumbled. Getting up to go outside without another word. Hearing Val give him a small hum of approval as he left. Outside Blake didn't bother grabbing a handful to hold, simply laying down flat to the ground with his face buried into the snow. Giving out groans of pain as his face throbbed with a growing burning sensation building.

He laid out there till he felt his face go numb. Going back inside to sit by the fire. Seeing Val laying nearby using the jacket as a blanket.

"hows your nose?" she asked him.

"in pain … clear." he mumbled. Having mixed emotions on his nose being fixed.

"the healing will go faster." she smiled at him.

"how many noses have you fixed?!" he grumbled at her.

"many, including my own on a few occasions. Fighting was a common thing, after all. I've had to reset many other things over the years. There wasn't exactly any doctors so you had someone else fix you, or you had to fix yourself and hope it healed well." Val spoke.

"ever fixed large wounds on yourself?" he asked.

"Have been stabbed quite a few times." she spoke as if it were nothing.

"back in the woods, were you shot by the helicopter or some guy?" Blake asked. Watching Val as she locked onto the blood stain on her clothes with a growing expression of unsettlement. Noticing her going a little pale till she swallowed and looked back toward Blake.

" the flier, I tried hiding behind a tree. Shot right through it going up my side." she answered, trying to hide exhaustion in her tone.

"are we even still near the river?" she asked.

"i have no idea. I had to run for a while in the snow storm. Couldn't see past a few feet in front of me the whole night." Blake answered sadly.

"Without your fur gear you won't make It to the other side. Your breathing alone is already crippling your travel up." Val spoke, looking up at the rock ceiling.

"you think the low trail mite provide better cover for us to?" he asked. Time passing by without an answer from Val.

"... why did you save me?" she suddenly asked.

"why wouldn't I?" was the first answer Blake thought of, but that brought up many reasons why he shouldn't have. Some being extremely personal on why.

"i … do you think I shouldn't have?" he asked, instead of giving an answer he couldn't quite figure out himself.

"it was a mistake. I no longer have a use and now a drain on supplies. You'd been better off just leaving on your own. i am a burden, burdens cant be kept." she spoke coldly, despite the matter hanging heavily over her own health.

"you don't think that way." Blake stated with disbelief over Vals words.

"i think realistically. I can give nothing, so there is no purpose to bringing me along any further. We should separate here." she stated with a glare toward the ceiling.

"I had nothing to offer. You knew the way, you were going to leave Templegate no matter what. Why stick with me then? Wouldn't I have been a burden?" blake challenged her line of thought.

"would you have even come to me if I didn't have something to offer?" she challenged back.

"you avoided my question." Blake glared.

"you avoided mine. … it was a mistake." she repeated with a returning glare. Turning back to stare at the ceiling.

" … i am not leaving you." Blake ended on his side. He didn't want to just leave her alone to die from her injuries. Getting up to leave for a moment to gather more wood, more so to get a break for himself.

"no reason to get attached. You were going to split at the town anyway. Why do you care after all that happened in the mines?" he thought in an attempt to get over the situation.

"maybe because nobody should feel that way." the tiny voice in the back of his mind spoke.

"she's not normal though. She can kill me if she ever decides to. I need to get over this someday. Forget lynn, forget … Jessica … their gone. What's the point?" he thought. He took a deep breath to calm himself down, heading back with arm full of branches. Hoping he'll be able to get some actual deep sleep. Return back to Val examining the large blood stain on her clothes. Appearing to be so deep in thought she didn't react to Blakes returning presence.

Both keeping silent until Blake momentarily broke it with an offer of food from his bag. Getting a silent head shake from Val. Turning away from him and the fire to simply fall asleep. Blake deciding to follow after. Making another pile of snow to rest his swollen face on in the meantime.

* * *

Wicker stomped down the sterile white halls of the lab. Aggressively in search of someone, anyone to get his frustrations out. Locking onto one poor researching passing the halls.

"you!" he shouted as he yanked the man close. Holding him just barely off the ground.

"what's the process on that new damn tower?!" he growled, looming aggressively over the poor man.

"its set up sir!" the researcher blurted out. Flinching away to hide behind the clipboard he was holding.

"can It be tested?!" wicker snapped impatiently for the next answer.

"yes sir! We just did a small one a hour ago." the man nodded quickly. Falling as he was shoved back to the floor.

"fire it up again! Double the signal you used!" wicker yelled loud enough for his voice to echo through the halls.

"yes sir!" the researcher spoke in panic as he ran off.

"I'll get something done around here! Buy us some time as those survivors brains scramble!" wicker growled to himself.

* * *

"blake, help. Blake please. BLAKE!" Jessica young voice screamed out in a fear. A sudden flash of white in the darkness startling Blake into waking his eyes. Heart pounding in his chest as it felt a tightening from the thin air.

He sat up in the cold darkness of the room. Feeling a shiver go down his spine from the lack of fire. Hearing a strong wind blowing from outside in a storm like before. He got to his feet, rubbing his arms to try and warm himself. Feeling around the nearby darkness till he grabbed some collected wood.

Slowly making a new fire to warm the room. Halting on putting wood on the fire when he saw Val missing from her resting place. The blood stained jacket having been left setting there alone. He quickly looked around for her.

"val? Val?!" he shouted, looking even quicker over the small room. Panicking at the knowledge of her missing. Looking out the entrance into the thick snow storm blowing by. He didn't hesitate in grabbing a branch to burn for a torch. Throwing on the fur jacket before rushing out into the pitch black blowing winds.


	13. Guilt

Blake was met with a blast of snow as soon as he left the warmth of the cave. His torch barely managing to stay lit.

"val?!" he shouted, being barely louder then the blowing winds threatening to knock him over. He looked around in a panic for any sign. Unable to see any figures in the darkness nor any tracks in the rising snow.

"why do this now at the worst of times?!" Blake spoke to himself. Seeing his breath blow away as quickly as he let it out in the night air. Confusion at why Val would just run out in a blizzard in the night. She seemed to be the last person to do something so drastic against their life.

"then again, she's not mentally stable." he thought, trudging forward out into the weather.

"i can't go far. I have to make sure I know the way back. I'll only head straight then back before going in another direction." he thought, noticing his body already beginning to uncontrollably shiver.

He stopped at the torch light reflecting off something shiny in the snow. Quickly noticing the glistening red against the fresh pure snow. He stepped toward it to find marks in the show. Looking like a fight had broken out with so much snow disturbed. Sweeps of snow into piles covered in a light layer of red. Grabbing hand prints in the snow looking purposeful.

Walking through the disturbed snow he drew closer to a strange scrubbing sound. Finding Val furiously doing something while sitting firmly planted in the snow.

"what are you doing?" Blake asked, standing behind her while trying his best to block the torch from blowing out. Her back facing him as she sat on her legs in the snow. Continuing to do whatever it was she was doing out of Blake's view.

"scrubbing out the blood." she stated. Blake coming a little closer to see her using snow along with a large rock to scrub furiously at her dress.

"she must have been doing this a while, but why?" he thought. Her dress having been almost completely free of blood. Leaving only a slightly darker ring left behind where the edge of blood once was. Yet she continued furiously scrubbing as if all the blood was still there.

"i think it's clean enough. we-" Blake started.

"no! It's still there! It's all still there! I have to keep scrubbing to get it out!" she spoke through her shivering. Her body covered in a thin layer of frost with her hands looking dangerously dark.

"you have to stop now. You can continue later." he spoke toward her facing back. This time he didn't even get an answer from her.

"stop!" he shouted, grabbing her arm that she was scrubbing with the large rock.

"let go! I am not done!" she snapped at him through gritted teeth. Fighting with him to break free. Blake flinched away at Vals wild struggle. Trying to keep himself far enough from getting an elbow to the face while he kept a firm grip on her arm. The last thing he wanted to do is let go for Val to run off deeper into the blizzard. He brought her close into a tight hug, holding the torch as far away as he could to avoid burning her.

After she thrashed around him, with a few hard blows to his ribs and stomach, he released the torch to hold her in a restraining hug. Her back going against his chest with his arms crossing tightly over hers and both arms. She went limp in the tight hold with heavy breaths of exhaustion. Feeling her body shiver drastically against his.

Blake grumbled multiple curse words over the situation. Tightly restraining Val as he looked back to the dropped torch with only lightly burning embers remaining. The torch providing just a small enough glow for him to see his trail back. He took a deep breath to gather some energy to move forward. Finding Val becoming heavier as she completely passed out.

He didn't want to move her for fear she may suddenly wake and hit him square in the face. He didn't want to take any chances, something strange was happening with her.

"blake, come one! We're going to be late!" lynn shouted. Or at least that's what Blake heard. Snapping his attention forward where he heard the voice. It was something she always said to him at the entrance of the school. He was always a bit slow getting there and she would wait for him, despite possibly being very late herself. He swallowed at hearing nothing more. Pressing the memory back down.

"not that far." he thought, dragging Val back to the stone room they held up in. finding the small trail getting more and more difficult. Sinking down into the thick snow up to his chest.

"where is it?!" he thought, feeling the stone wall where the cave should have been.

Noticing a lining of snow at the stones edge with a mild brightness. He dug a little at the spot, finding the entrance buried under the snow. He dug further just enough so they could slip into the buried room. Making sure to keep a tight hug on Val the entire time. Sitting down close to the fire with Val sitting in his lap. He looked down at her, then to the fire. It was still burning largely with the last wood branches thrown on.

"no surprise, the snow blocking the entrance kept all the wind away." he thought. One less worry over Vals shivering body. He looked down to her to consider what to do next. Removing the fur jacket to wrap them both in it like a blanket. Feeling tired as he got them both to warm up again.

"what if she gets up and runs again?" he thought, considering sleep.

"well, if I hold onto her she won't be able to just sneak away." he thought. Laying down with her. Keeping her in the restraining hug against his chest as he laid them both on their sides. Making sure both were fully covered again once settled. Vals shivering going down the longer he kept them covered.

* * *

"is the signal working?" wicker asked the men seated at the controls to the tower.

"almost, needs a bit more tweaking. The nearby mountains are leeching away a bit of the signal. Its stopping it from going over the entire way." one seated man spoke.

"that can easily be fixed, we encountered that problem the first time we ever set up the tower. as we increase the signal the leeching won't be very noticeable." another seated man spoke.

"perfect, on schedule." wicker spoke in monotone. A small beep from his wrist having everyone in the large control room go silent. A pin falling to the floor could be heard at that moment. People stopping mid action as if time itself was stopped. Nobody sipping coffee, setting papers, or pressing a single button on the keypads.

Wicker swallowed thickly with a nervous clear of his throat as he brought the wrist pad up to his full attention. A new message from the CEO. His heart practically seizing in his chest at the new marked message. He shakily opened it with a sinking heart as seeing the few words.

"i am coming soon, in the next couple days. Everything better be in place." the message said with the CEOs signature marking the bottom.

"that witch!" he thought with a glare at the message. Writing a message back lying that everything was fine.

"she'll be here soon for a check in. get back to work!" he shouted. Everyone buzzing around the room back to their places.

"is the helicopter fixed?" he asked one of the seated men.

"yes sir" they all replied.

"get my team on it. Were going back." wicker growled. Getting more agitated as he felt his jaw loosening up again.

* * *

Blake woke up to feeling well rested surrounded by warmth. Noticing first thing that Val had changed position in the night. Turning around to curl up into Blake while pulling him close by his small vest. Second thing he noticed was fresh smeared blood all over the front of both of them. He looked over them both for where the blood came from. Finding Vals hand dripping the substance. He carefully loosened it from his vest, leaving in its place a bloody hand print.

Wincing at the sight of Vals hand missing its skin. The act of scrubbing with a rock with a numb hand preventing any noticeable pain as the skin was also rubbed off. He went through his bag to grab a bandage. Carefully wrapping around the wounded fingers as he tried not to rub them any further of more skin.

"why want it gone so bad?" he thought down at the bloody hand.

"she never had a blood problem before." he wondered. Looking behind him to see the outside entrance lit up by the morning sun. or at least partially as a wall of white prevented it from fully pooling in. he slowly removed himself from Vals side expecting her to wake, but she didn't.

"she's still missing a ton of blood. Running out in the cold to do all that scrubbing probably exhausted her body." he mumbled.

"wish I could sleep so deeply like that. Maybe getting back to a real bed will turn me into sleeping beauty." he joked in thought. Covering Val so he could head out for more wood branches.  
He swiped away piles and piles of snow blocking the entrance. Coming face to face with blinding sunlight glowing off the calm winter wonderland.

"wow." he thought. Looking across the vast white covered forest. Everything looking so clean, peaceful, free of all the horrors it has waiting not too far. He took 3 steps out into the beautiful sparkling white world getting ahead of himself as he sunk straight down to his chest in the thick snow.  
Glaring at the sunny sky with anger at remembering this problem from last night. He tried a few times to get up, making a bigger hole in the snowy area as he continuously sunk in the new spots. Stopping at the sound of helicopter blades. He hid down in the new snow ditch he formed deep in the snow.

Listening as the flying metal drew near enough that Blake saw its shadow pass on the rocky wall not 5 feet away. Hearing it slowly fly off quietly in the distance. He slowly peeked up from the ditch. Examining over the clear sky's for any sight of it. Trying again to jump his way out of the ever increasing snow ditch he was accidentally growing. Deciding hed just save himself the time by making a ramp of snow out to the top.

Out of the ditch he was more careful about shifting his weight around. Sinking far lesser than earlier. Practically latching onto a tree trunk when he reached one to keep from sinking further at its base.

"maybe a snow tunnel would be good for this." he thought momentarily at the trunk. Climbing up it a little to rip a few branches off. Throwing them down into a pile while he happily worked. Snapping one large branch that it created a nice echo between the two steep mountain sides. A scary sound of mass falling snow falling behind in the distance.

"forgot about avalanches." he thought with a nervous swallow. Slowly making his way off the tree to his branch pile. Careful to not make any loud sounds as he realized the area they were in was a perfect place for an avalanche.

Two high steep rocky mountain walls covered in thick snow. Only a few trees on the steep upward slope. Being more careful as he used a branch to messily shovel his way back to the cave. In the bright clear day he realized the space wasn't too big across each wall. Walking straight from the cave would make you hit the other side in a few minutes of clear walking.

He tended to the fire inside, needing to add only a little bit of wood. He took out the bag of smoked meat to pull out a few stripes to eat. The flavor reminding him of the beef jerky found in those gas station glass jar containers. Remembering all the other foods in a gas station. Savory chips in all sorts of flavors and the nice cool sodas. Smacking his dried mouth at the thought of guzzling down soda. Grabbing a handful of nearby snow to slowly melt for a drink.

The action only making him grab more handfuls. No matter how much snow he grabbed it only seemed to make two spoonfuls of water once melted.

"i need something to boil down water with." he thought. Going to head out again to look for something. Stopping outside as he remembered to take his medication. Looking back at the bottle with a twisted stomach. In his mind he thought the pills would last a long while, but with taking 2 a day he was down from 30 to only 6 pills left in the bottle.

"good thing I grabbed a few." he mumbled, putting the almost empty bottle away. An idea from the container coming to mind. It was small, but he could use it to catch melting ice like a cup.  
"that's one thing off my list." he thought. He needed a container along with something to hold snow in for cooking. Wandering around for a bit as he looked over multiple objects for something useful. Examining branches to be used as something like a scoop or tubing to fill with the snow.

"guess I'll try this for now." he thought, walking back to the cave. Letting out an angry sigh when he got there. Seeing a pair of extra tracks going out. Looking inside confirmed that Val had ran out again. He dropped off the branch to freely follow Vals tracks. Discovering her not far standing in the snow. The winds picking up with darkening skies warning of another incoming blizzard.

"you should stay inside!" Blake shouted at her. Her back facing him with silence, refusing to answer him.

"... I thought you left." she stated, still sounding tired.

"no. let's go back before the storm comes in." he spoke.

"i don't want to go back." she stated.

"you have to. You're going to freeze out here!" he spoke in frustration. Getting no reaction out of Val.

"... am I going to have to fight you to get you back?! Ill do it!" he spoke, honestly preparing himself to do so.

"heh, you cant fight. I'll have to be dead before you get me anywhere." she spoke with a small chuckle of amusement toward Blakes "threat".

"just get back to the cave dammit!" Blake snapped, becoming fed up with this.

"... I can't get back." she mumbled.

"why?!" Blake shouted.

"my ankle was hurt last night. It's why I even stopped here." she mumbled. gesturing to one leg, Blake noticed now, that she wasn't entirely standing on.

"I'll carry you." he said with a heavy swallow. He still wasn't used to Val being so close while awake. After getting a nod from her he gently picked her up to slowly walk back through the snow. Slipping inside to gently put her down by the fire.

"why'd you go out anyway?" he questioned about the earlier nights events. Val avoided looking at him to instead face the stone wall. Being silent for so long Blake assumed he may not get an answer from her.

"i wanted to be clean." she stated, shifting a bit to lay back under the fur clothing.

"one hell of a way to do it." he thought. Remembering the other experience he had in the night. Hearing Lynn's voice speaking to him, which brought up an even further memory.

"why'd you leave tracks around the grave?" he asked her. Remembering to when they were both still back in Templegate. Finding enough courage to simply ask Val the question now that they've spent many days together.

"hmm?" Val hummed as she looked at him.

"the grave I made for lynn. You kept stamping tracks all around it and I had to always clean them up. So why did you do it?" he asked again with further explanation.

"oh that. … curiosity's sake. I've never seen someone guard a grave before. No ones made a grave in Templegate for a long time. It was strange to see one again." she answered.

"Templegate never allowed graves?" he asked.

" not never allowed, but …. when knoths disease picked up burying the dead no longer felt right. They were burned in piles for a while. burying the dead seemed less and less possible. The bodies left to hang from nooses as eternal reminders of their mistakes. The sick were forced to leave. Suicides tended to do so away from the buildings. The rare few that were in Templegate had been left as another reminder. Suicides were sinners left to rot for their betrayal.

Even in my last few days there I wasn't allowed … to bury … my-" Vals speaking slowly turning into silence. Having trouble continuing on. Blake did not press any further on the subject.  
"you wont run away down the mountain, will you?" he asked.

"even if I did I couldn't get far." she waved her bandaged hand a little toward the air. Blake giving a small nod as he pulled out some strips of meat to hand her. Val taking it with her uninjured hand to stare at it for a moment. Not seeming too hungry as she took off a small bite.

Blake turning back to what he was doing with the hollowed branch. Stuffing it full of snow to hold over the fire. Setting the emptied out pill bottle at the end to collect the drizzling water.

"what are you doing?" Val asked, eating while watching Blake handle the wood full of snow over the fire.

"trying to get some water. Its slow, but it'll get us a few mouthfuls." he smiled slightly as he saw water slowly pour out in steady drops into the orange bottle.

Over the course of a few hours Blake had removed a big chunk of the entrance snow blockage. Switching back and forth with Val on drinking a filled bottle. Drinking at least a few cups worth by nightfall. Feeling the storm at full blast outside.

"at least it's some water. If we go down and reach the river it will be a lot easier. It's been pretty clear in the mornings. We can try and head down in a few days when your ankles better. If it still isint I can carry you the way down." Blake spoke. Knowing they both really needed to get off the mountain before something killed them.

"what about the flier? I've seen its shadow circling by." Val spoke.

"it passes by every now and again. If we go as soon as it does it won't come towards us for maybe another half hour." he answered.

"last one for tonight." Blake smiled, handing her the bottle of water. She quickly drank it down before handing it back.

"want to sleep by me?" she asked.

"... sure." Blake hesitated in answering.

"it wouldn't be so bad. It is pretty cold when sleeping alone." he thought. Nervously laying down beside her. His body tensing as she hugged him close to lay her head under his jaw. His body relaxing as she did nothing else after settling by him. He looked up at the ceiling for a moment to relax. Closing his eyes to sleep when he felt ready.

* * *

Wicker came angrily stomping into the overly white control room. Followed by a group of skittish men in heavy uniform who quickly got away from wickers presence. The results of the hunting rounds was obvious by wickers sour expression.

"you three!" wicker roared as he reached the middle of the room, pointing at the men seated at the control panel.

"set the tower again with a higher wave broadcast. I want it to pierce those mountains!" he shouted down at them.

"were not sure if its ready to handle the higher broadcasts sir. We have to make the adjustments slowly." one seated man spoke.

"move! Ill do it my damn self!" wicker snapped, hitting one man away from the controls with the sweep of his arm. Moving a few sliders to the more middle section of the deep orange readings. Typing in a few things of code to activate certain test protocol.

"set the countdown warning or-" one man spoke quickly, unable to get all of it out as wicker ignored him by pressing the final activating button.

Wicker watching with amusement as the whole labs light system turned to a warning red. All the doors bolting shut like a bank vault with layered metal shutters sliding down to lock over all windows. Anyone outside was now trapped and forced to face a heavy wave from the high tower. A video of it on camera going up on the labs big screen.

Dark clouds circling it until a blinding mass of lightning shot down onto the powerful tower. The flash disappearing over a slow few seconds by the time the radios powerful wave was sent out.

"it works." wicker grinned as he hummed a happy tune while heading off. The staff inside now feeling uneasy being completely trapped with the man. The building refusing to unlock anything to the outside till the wave died down after a few hours. The poor workers outside having the high chance of their brains being wiped of many memories. Or their minds being badly scrambled to the point of a coma.

* * *

Blake opened his eyes to suddenly being outside in the dark snow. Looking up at a blinding white light above him. He stepped back to see it was a street lamp.

"what?" he spoke out loud. Knowing full well he wasn't in the city when he fell asleep. He looked around in confusion till he saw the building.

The school.

His heart jumped into his throat at seeing it again. Chest constricting as the front stairs and doors to the building suddenly flashed forward to appear just at his feet. He tried breathing deeply to bring down his hyperventilating just like the therapists said.

"just breath." he repeated to himself. His body beginning to subconsciously lean back away as the door slowly opened with multiple gurgling cracking noises. He wanted to run away as he saw the doors opening, something prevented him however.

The inside hall of the school was covered in black rotting bodies missing all their eyes. Yet Blake could still somehow sense that they were staring at him still. He knew whatever it was, was only going to allow him forward, not back. Calming his breath was proving futile as he fearfully stepped forward into the building that now seemed like the organic insides of some beast.

Looking back to see the entrance nonexistent. He looked forward again toward the darkening hall made up of entangled bodies. He roughly swallowed again as he felt sick stepping forward. Hearing mixed sounds of something being squished under his shoes. Or sometimes the sound of something cracking like small bones. He didn't look, he knew it was better if he didn't.

Another concern were the wall hanging bodies. As he passed he could see at the edge of his vision that there heads were turning to watch him pass in some sort of dark amusement over him. He stopped at hearing another pair of footsteps.

Spit getting caught in his throat when he turned pale at the sight.

That monster he thought he was free of stepping into the end of the tunnel. Half its body bearing arms, with a skull like head, a body lacking of any skin coated in blood. Only this time, it was bigger with much more features.

Its bottom jaw returning with a mouth full of layered jagged teeth similar to a goblin shark Blake once saw. A secondary head sprouting from its back looking like one of the wolves he faced. Bloody, cracked, peeling skin with its face burnt down to leave behind its shriveled white eyes in its bloody skull. The wolf bearing its own similar set of rotten black sharks teeth.

Its height having increased to be taller then that women Marta. Two long arms sprouting from its back into broken twisted positions to mock that of a praying mantises arms. At the end of the two limbs were a set of thick wiring protruding from the hand-less ends. The wires sending out bright blue sparks that lit up its body with light. Blake getting a deep feeling that the wires were fully capable of stopping his heart if he were grazed by one.

The amalgamation of broken organics gurgled at the sight of Blake. Blood pouring from both its mouths before managing to get out a hissing wheeze as the blockage disappeared from its throat.  
"whats missing?" the creature wheezed out in a distorted voice containing many. A few Blake recognized being that of Knoth, Marta, and one other from long ago.  
"it's your fault. Your fault she's gone. She's missing." the voices mocked as the twisted body stepped forward toward Blake.

"it's not my fault!" Blake yelled back with tears building.

"you killed her, kept it secret. You're the father of sin! You must pay, take your penance! " the beast spoke with its voices momentarily separating to speak from separate embodiment.

"your fault! your fault! your fault!" the voices chanted as one changing from anger to almost laughter filled mocking. Continuing forward with unholy grace as it practically glided down the hall toward Blake threateningly.

"no, no!" Blake shouted back, turning to run away. All the hanging bodies heads snapping back to follow him as he ran. He didn't get far as he ran into the wall where the exit once was. No other halls to turn down to avoid the oncoming creature Blake grew desperate.

Digging his nails into the organic wall till it ripped apart. Spewing blood at him as he dug further and further to try finding a hidden exit somewhere underneath all the organs. The wall hangers laughing along with the approaching creature as they watched Blake pathetically rip apart more of the wall desperately.

Blake flinched against the wall as he saw from the corner of his eye a popping blue spark by the beasts jaws opening to bite.

"there's always a way. Always a way out!" Blakes mind panicked in the split second he had.  
Blakes eyes suddenly opening to the stone room with the fire. Getting a panicked wheeze in as he sat up to catch his breath. Straightening his neck up toward the ceiling in the hopes he would take in deeper breaths. His asthma making his chest feel like it had an elephant sitting on his chest.

Finally getting to a point he wasn't about to pass out he looked to where Val was. Worried on how he may have suddenly woke her, but discovering her missing again. Fear was replaced by anger as he got to his feet. Stumbling out side ready to hunt down Val again.

"i am here." Val spoke before Blake could shout her name. He looked at her sitting in the snow, hearing the sound of her scrubbing her dress again. Her voice sounding deeply distraught.  
"why are you doing that again?" Blake wheezed.

" I just … want it all gone." she spoke with a shaky voice that wasn't just caused through shivering.

"... have you been having nightmares too?" Blake asked quietly. Val stopping to angrily throw the rock she was using aside. Letting out a short shaky breath as she brought her hand up to her face.  
Blake stood behind her silently, not wanting to disturb her as he could tell she was crying. Her body language doing its best to hide her distress from him. He used this time to wipe away his own tears from his face.

"yes … now leave me alone!" she finally snapped at him with an answer.

"... of Templegate?" Blake asked.

"i lived it, any dreams of that place was just another moment of everyday life. I have no fear of that place." Val breathed with anger.

"can we talk inside?" he asked.

"go away!" She snapped.

" … back when Knoth was alive and I was in Templegate I saw your notes. They talked about your last few days there … please talk to me." Blake spoke gently.

"NO!" she roared, turning to him with a glare filled with pained anger over something.

" please, can we go inside. I wont go till you do." Blake spoke gently to her. Watching her sit there silently before getting up herself.

"don't touch me!" she snapped when Blake tried to help. Only standing off to the side to allow her to head inside after that.

Following closely behind where they both sat by the fire. Inside he was switching between watching her and watching the fire.

"do you want to try and sleep?" Blake asked.

"no." Val answered quietly.

"me neither, but we have too." he nodded, fearing the returning nightmares.

"the pressures returning. I don't know what I'll do if it gets worse." she spoke truthfully.

"i don't either. We just have to get off this mountain. Take it from there as we go." Blake sighed. Noticing Val staring at the remaining blood stain on her clothes.

"when we get down we can stop to get clean at the river. Get rid of that remaining stain." Blake added. Getting a nod with a small smile from Val as she tiredly rubbed half her face.

"promise you wont go out till morning." Blake said to her.

"i wont." she replied, staring at the fire. Blake thought worryingly over if she was lying or not. He laid down to try and gather some more sleep. A deep fear arising at facing that thing in his nightmares again.

He tried making sense of it all. He knew what that thing was now. That birth mark going across its face being a dead giveaway. His nightmares always brought him to the school. To where all the pain and suffering he lived through sprouted from. Now it was mixing with his most recent nightmares of Templegate.

"Reading knoths journal probably didint help my mental health either." he thought. Slowly slipping away to sleep.

"you were scared. Its not your fault." he heard lynns voice in the darkness, opening his eyes to more blinding light in his face.

He stepped away, expecting to find another street light. But found the bright light peering down from no origin but the pitch black night sky. No stars or even a moon, just this strange bright cone of light. He felt his body tense as the light slowly faded away.

"lynn!" he shouted, rushing back under the dimming light. Hoping deeply that it would return back.

"your going to be late Blake." lynns voice spoke down to him from the remaining light.

"late for what?!" he shouted at the last bit of light disappearing.

"i don't want to go back!" he shouted with tears building as he saw the haunting school out of the corner of his eye. Fear growing as the darkness surrounded him. Finding his surroundings slowly dissolving into a mash of the school, the caves, and organic wall stitching the chunks together with pulsating mounds of bloody organs.

Seeing the hanging bodies on the wall returning to watch. Whispering to each other as they stared Blake down. He couldn't understand them, but knew the conversations were all about him. He slowly walked forward, wanting to get away from the hanging whisperers, only to meet more ahead. However, the whispers stopped as he began to move.

His breathing growing more strained the longer he wandered. Discovering that he was in a warped maze going in many endless directions. He stopped at the sight of a large shadow appearing on the wall further ahead.

"come out, don't hide. I don't like it when you hide." the distorted voice spoke in anger as it grew closer to finding Blake. He turned to run down any path closest to him. Having no idea on if the paths would lead to a dead end or something even more a danger to him. Feeling a growing sense of dread as he saw the beast easily catching up. The bright sparks it produced showing its horrifying form, in the darkness, catching up.

Blake felt tears streaming down his face as he grew tired from the running. Feeling himself slow despite pushing himself to run at full speed. Getting a moment of hope at seeing a door down one path. Racing toward it to burst through it.

Landing with bunches of broken wood onto cold shining linoleum tile. Getting up to his feet and seeing the surroundings. He was back in the school cafeteria surrounded by rows of seats and chairs. He wheezed in breaths of air while looking for a place to run or possibly hide in. finding all the doors locked he ran into the open kitchen. Finding a empty metal cabinet under the servings holder.

It was small, crammed, low to the floor with the metal being freezing cold without doors to close. Making the hiding spot more uncomfortable was a lack of metal bottom to lay on. He had a feeling he had done this before. The environment seeming to play out just as his memory's went. Hiding under the metal door less cabinet. A loud bang as the double doors slammed open. The angry thing stepping into the room, searching for him. the beast spoke with a slow warped voice. Letting out a deep gurgle at the end.

"what did you see?" it said. Blake could hear it stepping closer with something thickly dripping to the floor.  
"i know your in here." it hissed in a drawn out manor, drawing closer. Blakes heart dropping at seeing its legs step by the low open cabinet he was in. covering his mouth to hide his deep terrified breathing.

"you did this. You could have stopped her. There wouldn't have been this much trouble." the monster gurgled out. A mass of blood pouring from its mouth to puddle at the floor. Blake flinching away from the liquid coming near him. Fearing that touching it would have it discover his hiding place. Painfully holding himself up from the bottomless area hanging over a bloody collection.

Almost letting go at being startled by a bright blue loud pop going off from the beasts wired arms. Another part of the memory coming to mind. ... His hiding spot didint work.

"its your fault. You know that. Your fault. Admit your sins Blake." the beast spoke in that mans voice. The one who haunted him for so long even after leaving that school. He tensed up as the creature twitched to bend down. Blakes eyes growing wide at the motion with his mind screaming for him to run.

Rushing almost his entire body out of the cabinet right behind the creature. dodging a shocking wired limb from stabbing into his legs as he escaped the rest of him out of the cabinet. The creature letting out an angry animalistic screech as it slowly turned to face the fleeing Blake.

Blake ran back to every door to test if any of them had opened with no luck. Even the door he bashed through now being long gone from where it once was.

"what do I do?! Why am I here?! What do you want from me?! How do I get out?!" Blakes mind raced with so many thoughts.

"don't go Blake!" Jessica spoke to him.

"its not your fault!" lynn added.

"don't leave me here! I am sorry! I am sorry!" Blake shouted out desperately.

"suffer for your sins blake!" the creature roared with wide opened jaws full of teeth. Blake freezing as he looked deep into the bloody jaws of death just before waking up in a cold sweat.

He sat up with wheezing gasps, finding Val seated by his side, watching him. He was covered in sweat with a cotton dry mouth. His lungs squeezing painfully tight as he tried calming down. His head growing a migraine as if a long needle was stabbed through it. A feeling he had in temple gate when he first faced the school visions.

"do you feel stick?" Val asked, gently feeling his face for a possible fever. Blake flinching away while wheezing in more air.

" … my head feels like its been shot. … we need to leave the mountain in the morning." he said, more exhausted now after that rest. If the nightmares became any more draining, he mite not make it the next few days. They needed to leave soon.

" you still want to try and sleep?" she asked.

"...no. ..." he answered.


	14. The Tower

The two left the warm cave early morning as the sky turned a deep blue. Unable to sleep along with wanting to avoid the copter they decided in the night to head out as soon as they could see light outside. Blake carrying Val on his back with the fur jacket just barely covering over them both. Val had to hold the gun for him, which he'd completely forgotten about these past few nights.

"i really shouldn't run off in a panic like that. It's going to seriously hurt me at some point." he thought. Walking slowly down along the steep rocky siding. The snow being much more compacted near the wall to prevent sinking. Going down the mountain was a lot easier than going up.

His asthma acting up in the thin air again. Carrying weight not making it easier. Further down the mountain it slowly grew easier to breath. On the way they spotted the seasonal river, a good distance off from where they were.

"found that river." Blake joked as he looked at it.

"at least we're at a recognizable marker. The flowing river should be further down to the left. It flows right against the mountain." Val spoke, pointing in the direction she was sure where it was at. Blake nodded while continuing forward down the mountain. Reaching where the snow met the rocky floor further down into thicker woods.

"finally, no more damn snow or ice." Blake spoke as he walked.

"now it's back to burning sun. The river flows into a deep valley that was always described like sitting in pool of burning coals." Val described

"if the rivers there and warm I won't mind." he chuckled.  
"how wide is the valley?" he asked.

"incredibly long, towering sides, narrow vision." Val remembered what the traveler described to her.  
"why?" she asked.

"figure out if the helicopter will have trouble following. If the valleys narrow enough it will." Blake answered.

"i hear the flier coming." Val warned. Blake looking back over the sky above. Managing to see the sun glint across the flying metal. He quickly hid up against a nearby tree to safely watch it go by. Coming out of hiding when the flier disappeared from his view.

"maybe the valley will give us a break." Blake thought, the words coming unintentionally out in a mumble. Walking slowly at first before going more into a light jog to leave the area faster.

Reaching the bottom of the mountain they found the river just in time as Blakes lungs were tightening up a little too much. He got as close as he could to the waters edge before setting Val down on a large old log sitting on the rocky shore. Blake sitting down besides her to catch his breath. Both taking out a pill bottle to take some medication.

"i don't know how long it'll take to scrub the stain out." Val spoke as she stood up, careful about her injured leg.

"take your time." Blake wheezed with a wave of his hand.

"want to try and fish breakfast?" Val asked, getting undressed to head into the water. Blake looking away as usual.

"yeah, sure." he breathed in agreement.

"can't rely on the smoked meat anymore." Blake thought, going onto wonder how he was going to fish.

* * *

"where the fuck are they?!" wicker grumbled from the helicopter high above the snowy terrain.

"maybe they're passed here sir. What if they made it over the mountain already?" one soldier shouted over the loud rotor blades.

"not possible. Ones either too injured or dead and the reporter doesn't have all the equipment for it." wicker shouted, remembering how he made sure to burn the furs Blake abandoned to runaway. He didn't want them possibly finding it again in the snow.

"should we head back?" another asked.

"no, we'll land somewhere. Have soldiers searching the ground with the helicopter looking from above. Get a radio set up down there too." wicker yelled.

* * *

Blake stood by the little fish trap he made. A circling area with a thin tunnel at the front made entirely up of large twigs and piled rocks. Watching a few fish mistakenly swim in to become trapped.

"not very big, but it's something. If they keep coming in we mite have a full meal in a little while." he mumbled to himself as he watched the fish dart around.

"talking to yourself or the fish?" Val teased him as she scrubbed her dress. Finding it coming out much easier with actual water being available.

"what if i am? I'll talk to my breakfast as much as I want." he jokingly said toward her. Getting a small laugh from her as she checked over her clothes. Feeling satisfied at the cleanness she limped out of the water to get redressed.

"if your done talking with them it's time to get them on the fire." she half joked, getting a small fire going. Blake getting a hold of a large rock to chuck at the fish. All of them becoming stunned enough to grab from the water without any hassle. Getting them ready on a few sticks to set into the fire for cooking.

"how long will walking through the valley take?" Blake asked, sitting by the fire.  
"i was always told about 2 days walking. Less if you dared down the white rapids." she answered, slowly turning all the fish over.

"anything else about the valley?" he questioned.

"lots of lush greenery for easy foraging." Val added.

"anything like wolves?" he asked a little more specific.

"no wolves, however the heat does attract many snakes." she answered, examining over a few of the larger cooking fish.

"what's next after?" he asked.

"we follow the white rapids till we reach a waterfall. Climb down to continue following the river till it begins to turn. We continue straight off the river into a woods. From there you follow markers up to the young saint in red." Val described what was told to her.

"markers to a young saint in red?" Blake asked with a raised brow.

"the trader, who always gave the pills Knoth requested." Val clarified.

"oh, do you think that "saint" is still there?" he asked.

"i don't think so. We've been stopping the travelers from getting anywhere past the town for about half a year. The "saint" must have grown tired of waiting by now." Val spoke as she took the fish from the fire. Trying to separate the various sized fish equally.

"hope the markers are still there. Do you know what those look like?" he asked, taking a bite out of a small fish.

"only that there carvings on trees." she answered, biting into a fish head with a crunching noise. Blake looking down on his fish, thinking.

Eating something while it stares at you with dead eyes being very unappetizing. deciding to do the same with a scrunched up face. He knew it was best to get a full stomach with as much energy as he could. He'd be helping Val with her bad leg in the valley. After taking one large bite with the fishes head collapsing in his mouth he slowly chewed on it. hearing loud crunches sounding out as he slowly broke it down. Roughly swallowing the thoroughly chewed head.

"guess that wasn't so bad." he thought. The idea of him just now chewing on fish eyeballs almost making his stomach come up.

"you look pale." Val said to him.

"yeah, … never ate fish heads." he honestly spoke after swallowing his stomach down.

"never? Do you just waste them?" she asked.

"no, most fish you buy come without them. They're sold separately in different ways like being pickled in jars or canned for soups." he swallowed again to gather enough courage for the next fish head staring at him.

"you should really eat them. It's the biggest part filled with healthy fats. Same with salmon eggs if you catch one carrying a batch." Val explained, eating the next fish head.

"blegh." Blake groaned at the thought of eating just a handful of pure fish eggs. Taking a fast bite of his next fish head to chew down quickly. Trying to get through them all quicker by eating the heads first before anything else. Roughly swallowing down the large mouthful. Feeling much happier to eat the rest of the fish since they were no longer able to stare.

"ready to go?" he asked, finishing down the last bite of his fish. Val nodded her head as she got up. Throwing the skewered sticks into the fire. Blake getting ready by destroying the fish trap. Grabbing one large stick from it to splash water onto the fire, snuffing it out to leave no trace. Val grabbing the jacket along with the gun swung over her shoulder. Blake picking her back up to continue down river.

It was exactly afternoon by the time they made it to the edge of the valley. The sun blazing over head as the light made the red rock seem to glow a bright orange. Blake looking forward far out down the long winding valley with incredibly steep rocky edges.

"shit, this is more like a canyon then a valley." Blake spoke, looking down the line of steep edges, looking like huge stair steps down along white rapids into thick forestry. The greenery looking amazing against the bright orange rock. Above them was a large overhang from the mountain with falling lines of water across the hanging edge. The overhang being tall enough to still allow lots of light to pool down to the river.

"set me down. I can climb myself." Val spoke

"are you sure?" Blake asked, concerned about Vals twisted ankle.

"yes, just have to go slow." she answered confidently, starting down before Blake could say another word about it. He slowly started down himself. The rocky side having many crevasses available to use. Making the way down a piece of cake compared to the cliff sides by Templegate. Reaching the final large step down Blake spotted a nearby tree he would rather use. Getting tired of anxiously climbing down crumbling rock.

"don't jump to that tree!" Val didn't warn in time as she saw Blake get a running jump to a large branch.

"its okay, i am better at trees then rock." he said just as a loud snap rang out. The branch popping off from heavy termite damage sending Blake falling to the hard floor.

"ugh." he groaned out in pain at his mistake. Going to sit up before freezing with his heart jumping into his throat at a deadly sound.

"don't move! don't move! Don't move at all or you will die!" Val warned repeatedly in a serious tone. Blake already knowing the last thing he wanted was to move. He read all those trail warning signs or the hundreds of available warning pamphlets at the hotel. Moving was the worst thing possible upon hearing that death rattle. Afraid to even look when he noticed Val getting closer down the rocky side. Watching her pull out the long knife from her sleeve as she got closer. Swiping down with one quick swing with the rattling ceasing.

Blake jumped to his feet with panicked breathing as he looked down to see the writhing body of a decapitated snake. The head still twitching as if it could slither away. Jaws opening to stretch out its venomous fangs as Val flicked the head away with her knife.

"we got some lunch now." Val smiled slightly as she held up the rattlesnakes now limp body. Blakes face contorting into a grossed out expression at eating something so exotic from his normal meat menu.

"as long as I don't have to catch more." Blake said as he patted dirt off his clothes.

"want me to carry you again? Now that we're down" he asked.

"mm." Val hummed, looking down at her injured ankle.

"just a little further. I should try to walk on my own as we get deeper into the valley." she answered. Blake getting close to help her up onto his back again. The heat of the valley getting uncomfortable with the fur jacket draped over them both. Val taking it off to carefully bring into a tight travel roll.

"geeze, it is like an oven down here." Blake said as he looked up at the sun pooling onto the crystal clear river that had calmed past the steep drops down.

"we can stop to eat. Cool off in the river." Val suggested as he walked.

"we are pretty far from where we left." Blake spoke, looking up to the high above sun. he walked a little longer up to a collection of large rocks. Gently setting Val down by one long laying rock. Blake going off to fetch fire supplies. Setting up a small fire pit among the mixed rocky sand. Val sitting near by to slowly thread the snakes body around and through a long stick.

"so is this place narrow enough?" Val asked him, referring to the helicopter hunting them down in the canyon.

"definitely. Even better with that overhang. Cant follow us down here." he answered happily. Taking the speared snake to set on the small fire.

"wont stop the armed men from following down. We should forage for some poisonous plants." she stated.

"for what?" he asked.

"powders." she answered.

"they'd be best for you, since you can't fight." she stated.

"i can fight." he glared.

"no you can't." she replied.

"i can if I have to. I can beat somebody down if I have to." he grumbled. Getting a look from Val as if she was being told a duckling would maul her the same as a bear.

"your not threatening." Val spoke honestly.

"i never needed to be." he snapped.

"alright, fight me then." Val challenged. Getting Blake to almost choke on his own spit.

"no, your injured enough!" he argued.

"then I should be simple enough to handle." Val smiled happily, standing to her feet.

"uh." was all Blake could get out while fidgeting nervously.

"what should you do?" Val asked to start Blake off.

"try not to die." he nervously jokes.

"that's half of it. You should look for weaknesses first. We already know mine. Try and sweep me off my feet if you can." Val instructed.

"what if you get hurt?" he spoke with apprehension over the act.

"your giving it a lot of credit if you think a small leg sweep can hurt me. I've been through much worse." she spoke reassuringly.

"don't hesitate when you do it. Hesitation can get you hurt." Val warned him. Making Blake not want to go anywhere near her now.

Seeing him refusing to take any action toward her, she picked up a long stick. Smacking his arm with it to get some sort of reaction out of him.

"ow!" he yelped, holding his arm. Looking down at a reddened line of skin, nothing to serious from the hit. Flinching again at another smack.

"stop it dammit!" he snapped angrily.

"take the stick from me." Val challenged, continuing to harass him with it. Stepping away as Blake tried to grab it away from her. Turning into a small chase to the waters edge before Blake tackled her against a boulder. Getting into a struggle of holding Val by one hand as she kept the stick holding one stretched away as much as possible. Blake getting a hold of both arms to pin from more struggling. Angrily taking the stick away as he kept her pinned against the rock. Giving Val a smug look of victory as he was finished tossing the stick away into the water.

"good, you have me pinned and disarmed. now what?" she asked him. Blake becoming flustered at the realization of their awkward position. Him having her closely pinned between his body and the rock while holding both her hands behind her back.

"Uuuuh." his voice nervously cracking mid way to make his embarrassing state worse. Surprised when Val suddenly shifted to push him back with her leg to his stomach. Shoving him back to land in the shallow pool of the water.

He splashed a little as he got up to stand in the waist deep water. Neither the push or the fall harmed him. Getting more of a shock by the water being freezing. Gasping as he shivered in the water.

"you hesitated." Val smirked at the man splashing around to shore.

"the water's freezing!" he shivered at the shore line. Val looking up at the large amounts of water in pouring steady lines from the overhang.

"most of it must come from melted snow off the mountain." she said, lightly limping back to the fire where Blake was busy getting warm.

"snakes probably ready." she smiled, grabbing the lightly burnt food. Taking out her knife to peel the skin of in careful slices. Cutting it into little hot dog ring looking sections.

"still looks a bit pink." Blake commented on it. Getting an agreeing nod from Val.

"cutting it up will help it cook. We can try finding something else to cook with it." she suggested, continuing to cut the snake in rings.

"like what?" Blake asked curiously.

"a place this alive with vegetation must have some edible plants. Mushrooms must be everywhere. Maybe even some wild onion." Val answered, finishing the cutting.

"you look for the onions. I'll collect the mushrooms."

"what does the onion look like?" he asked.

"long green straight stem with a bunch of purplish pink flowers at the very top. Pull one up and you'll see the onion bulb at the very bottom. They can grow really close to the water." she explained, separating down one way. Blake heading off the opposite way, not going far when he saw a huge bunch of the described flowery stems. Walking over to rip one up for affirmation.

"looks like green onions." Blake thought. Grabbing a thick handful from the group. Taking the time to scrub the dirt off all of them in the water. Coming back the same time Val just returned. Watching as she sliced everything into chunks. Layering them into a skewer pattering switching between meat and veggie.

"I'll be back." she spoke, leaving again for a moment. Returning with another stick with mushroom pieces pierced onto it.

"are we supposed to eat those too?" he asked.

"no, these you especially don't want to eat. Touching them isn't immediately harmful, but you should really scrub your hands if you do." she explained. Sitting down close to Blake so he could see the pieces up close.

"this first one." she pointed toward a large angry red colored cap covered in white spots.

"won't likely kill you. It will cause large hallucinating after ingesting." she explained. Moving to point to the next one. A whitish mushroom with a ring at its stem.

"this will absolutely kill you. In a few days, more or less. You have to be extremely careful as these look almost like the edible ones." she explained, pointing to the good ones cooking.

"this final one does the same, only much quicker. 6 hours to maybe a day. Or sooner depending on how and how much you've eaten." Val pointed to a pure white one being as bright as snow. Finishing up her mini teaching she threw the poisoned covered stick far off into the bushes. Going to the water's edge to thoroughly scrub her hands. Although she never touched the mushrooms.

Blake looked over the cooked skewers. Seeing the snake meat fully darkened with the veggies being spongy soft.

"eat quick, we need to forage for powder making." Val told him as she limped by to grab her skewered food.

"should you really be walking around so much?" he asked with a bite of food. Finding the snake meat not the easiest to chew through. Most its flavor coming off the cooked veggies. Val giving an unknowing shrug when she sat down.

"survival doesn't support the injured. Better I walk and force myself to get better. Then you being exhausted and unable to run from carrying me when chased." she answered, stretching out her injured foot.

Lunch was quickly finished with the two heading off following the river. Val slowly limping ahead with the tightly packed jacket. Blake being not too far behind with the gun over his shoulder. Blake was being instructed by Val on plants to use in the powders they were making.

Blake now having the other half of his bag filled with tightly closed pockets of various powders. Giving various degrees going from painful death to simple knockout. He made sure to keep everything as separated as possible, especially away from the food bag.

Continuing on as normal when Val felt they were prepared enough. Blake looking around in wonder at the lovely canyon. Watching the swimming fish in the clear sun covered river. Looking over up at the tall towering trees breaking the sun apart on there chosen walking path.

"isn't that the thing you were carrying?" Vals voice breaking through his distracted mind. Looking back to her as his mind realized what she said.

"what, my camera?" he spoke out loud without much thought. Looking off to where Vals gaze was directed. Noticing a strange thick black vine sticking out from the bright orange rock. Following it up to a high hanging camera in a tree surrounded by fake branch camouflage.

Blake let out a surprised gasp at the sight of it. Grabbing Val to yank her ahead of the cameras view.  
"shit, that thing probably saw us. We got to run from here." Blake blurted out as they hurried down along the river.

"what does it do?" Val asked.

"well, that one specifically watches or ... basically people look through it and watch. If people were watching at the time they definitely know where we are now. So we have to get as far away as possible before someone arrives here." he explained the best he could with limited time.

* * *

"sir, we spotted them on the marked trail again. Down in the canyon with the river." one spoke through a radio.

"i was hoping they wouldn't go there, the bastards. The winds go too steeply down the walls to fly the helicopter down. It would smash right into the canyon wall." wicker grumbled to himself. Thinking on what he should do about the situation.

"one group on a helicopter to the front of the canyon. Send out a second group to the end so we can close in by the middle." he commanded through the radio.

"yes sir." came a reply.

* * *

Val and Blake had been walking for hours with no sign of Murkoff. Both couldn't feel at ease despite the men being possibly far behind.

"no armed men yet. Its getting late." Val noted as they quietly walked through the canyon. Both staying toward the more heavily plant filled areas for cover.

"you think we should stop? Or keep going?" he asked.

"both, till night fall at least. If we find some armed men it would provide a good training for you." Val answered.

"training for what?!" Blake asked, caught off guard by the answer.

"using the powders." she stated.

"oh, that." Blake breathed out. Getting nervous over the thought of actually using the stuff.

"look, there's one!" Val whispered to him. Pointing behind them towards one of the armed soldiers walking ahead of a group farther back.  
"stick with the none lethal batch, just encase you accidentally inhale some in the process." she informed while directing him toward a hiding spot to get ready.

"sure." was all Blake could nervously get out as he was directed where to go. He slowly took a small handful from a bag filled with knock out drug. Hiding nervously behind a large tree. Waiting for the soldier to get close enough to throw the powder in his face. Looking back and forth between the tree edge and Val hiding in the thick foliage surrounding trees.

Blake doing his best to keep calm with his body going back and forth on tensing up. His heart pounding as his mind screamed at him to run like he always did. It felt so unnatural standing there in a ready to pounce setting.

Hearing the armed man come close enough, he peeked out. Quickly throwing the hand full of powder directly into the guys face when he looked at him. The surprised man took a few steps back from the surprise with tightly shut eyes. Wiping his face clean before opening his eyes to glare at Blake. Blake stood there frozen with a nervous swallow. Confused and frightened that the powder had no affect on the man.

Val stepped in with another handful of powder. This handful thrown into the face had an obvious effect. The man stumbling back before falling over completely knocked out.

"the powder didint work." Blake stated as he looked over the unconscious soldier.

"it works, you just used it wrong." Val informed while searching the mans pockets. Taking a roll of bandages off him.

"what could I have done wrong? I through it smack into the guys face." Blake asked confused.

"you're suppose to wait till he starts taking a breath. The body has a defense that keeps us from inhaling dangerous things when it notices them. If you surprise them just as they breath in, the body takes in a short sharp inhale before locking up. They suck in a large breath of it doing that." she explained, dragging the unconscious man away to not be found.

Blake looking away as he saw her pull out the knife to put at the mans throat. Feeling momentarily bad until he remembered the Murkoff horror stories from the news. The guilt passing by as soon as it arrived.

"lets try it again on that next one. When he gets close pay attention to his breathing." Val instructed him as she returned to her hiding place. Having Blake stand by his tree to get ready with another handful of knock out powder.

One by one Blake knocked most of the men out, with Val finishing them off behind him. It was only till Blake threw up a bigger cloud then meant had he needed to stop. Accidentally inhaling a bit of the powder to make his body weak on its feet. Val had him sit to the side so she could step in. throwing poisonous powders at the remaining few.

Blake managing to stay awake as Val finished. She returned with a calm demeanor with no regret for all the lives she had just taken.

"want to try walking or find a place to rest?" she asked him, slipping the water cleaned knife back into her sleeve.

" … uh ..." Blake mumbled tiredly. He wanted to sleep, but could he with the nightmares. The last time he continued his sleep deprivation almost had him falling off a cliff.  
"sleep, I guess. I don't think I should be walking after I inhaled that powder." he answered.

"then we just need to find a crevice in the wall. Don't want someone stumbling over us as we sleep in the dark open ground." she spoke, helping Blake to his feet to do a bit of searching. With how scraggly the canyon walls were it wasint long till they found a long narrow crevice.

Blake went in first to the end of it. Sitting down and resting against a pile of smooth rocks surrounded by gravel. Covering it all best he could with the fur jacket in an attempt to make it somewhat comfortable.

"are you coming in?" Blake asked, seeing Val leaning at the entrance to stare far into the distance outside.

"someone has to keep watch." she said, continuing to look out in one direction as if watching something specific.

"you didint sleep yesterday. Or really the night before that." Blake noted to her. Getting a sense of deja vu when he refused to sleep and the excuses he used.

"i am aware." she stated with aggravation coming into her tone. Blake remained quiet after that. He couldn't force her to sleep if she didint want to … or could he? He considered throwing powder at her, just like she did for him. The thought of an angry Val upon waking having him go against the idea.

He laid down against the fur to try his best at getting some sleep. Fearing what his dreams would bring this time. The migraine he developed last time lifted as they went deep into the canyon.

"maybe I wont see anything this time." he thought closing his eyes with hope.

* * *

Wicker was standing by the control panel with multiple radios on hand at a near by desk.

"have any of you gotten contact of team 1 at all?" he questioned, having lost contact with them hours ago.

"no sir, and were still a day away from reaching the middle half of the canyon." an officer answered.

"just stay where you are right now. Forget team one unless they call. Set up camp and guard that spot." wicker ordered.

"you want us to make camp?" the officer questioned at wickers changed stance at rushing to find the running survivors.

"yes!" he snapped, slamming the radio down on the table. Looking to the researchers at the control panel.  
"switch it on!" he demanded.

"but the soldiers down there will be hit." one spoke out.

"and?!" wicker snapped with a cold glare. Not at all concerned with the lower ranks in the way. The researchers flinched away as they rushed to get the tower running. Another researcher announcing a 10 second warning for all staff over a speaker. Getting an eye roll from wicker, but allowing it to go on as he pulled out a small tool to adjust his jaw. Shifting it back and forth to let out a screeching noise like knifes on a chalk board.

Everyone near enough to hear scrunching there faces up at the irritating sound. A final loud snap clicking the jaw into place just as the alarm started. The station turning red from warning lights turning on. Shutters rolling down to soon be followed by the high powered radio wave.

* * *

Blakes mind was momentarily filled with fog, only breaking through at his name being called. It was his teacher calling his name.

"what?" he spoke out loud in confusion. Staring up at the teacher before looking around to gather his whereabouts. Finding all other students staring at him as his teacher scolded him about daydreaming. He remembered what the teacher said, but when he started paying attention to him all he heard was half mumbled words. Everything sounding like it was under water.

Things slowly came to him on what was going on. It was the morning of that dreadful day. He looked back to where Jessica was seated. Seeing her sitting there taking notes as the teacher talked. Noticing Blake watching she waved a little with a board expression. Mouthing the words "pay attention" before boredly looking to her note pad again.

He didint want to, but his body automatically turned to look forward to the blackboard. Breath hitching at the sight of a decayed corpse staring at him from the front of the class. The room going dark with the skin melting off the other children around him. Yet all acting normally by taking notes, watching the moving corpse of the teacher, or reading from the text books.

He tried not to panic, closing his eyes for a moment to open them again in a new area.

"the cafeteria?" Blake remembered, recalling he was talking with Jessica at the time. Seeing her seated across from him with the world behind them being a blur of people talking and moving around.

"the counselor found out about the signature I made so I cant go on the tip today." she spoke sadly to him, picking at the food on her tray.

"so what are you going to do while the class is gone? Study in the library?" Blake automatically asked. Noticing that despite the little movements he could do from the environment. He couldn't stay away from the events happening. No mater how hard he tried to force out a warning to her about the events leading to the end of the day.

"no, counselor wanted me to sit in detention with Father Loutermilch and have a bible study of the commandments like "thou shall not lie or bare false witness". … Its going to be so boring ..." she spoke to him, slowly going quite at the mention of that mans name.

" the piano factory isint very exciting either. Why cant we go to the zoo or something like other schools?" Blake spoke. At the time he didint realize her sadness was over being stuck with that monster. He was just trying to cheer her up, thinking it was stemming from being unable to go on the trip.

"i guess … ill be staying late after school, think you can hang out?" she asked.

"sure, staying late for studying?" he asked.

"no, counselor called my dad. … I just … don't want to go home for a bit. Enjoy my freedom before i am grounded for a million years, you know?" she answered, joking to try and cover up her sadness.

"it wont be that bad. Besides, you'll have to go home at some point." he tried cheering her up again.

"yeah ..." she sighed, looking down to pick at her food.  
"have you ever thought about traveling the road?" she suddenly brought up.

"sorta? I have wanted to explore caves or go mountain biking." Blake answered. Inside he could only think how ironic the cave exploring was in his adult hood.

"yeah that, but also just how free you'll be. Get to do what you want with nobody to tell you no." she went on happily.

"sure, probably hard to find a sleeping place though. You'd have to sleep out in the woods or ask somebody to stay at there house." Blake talked while picking up a scoop of jello off his tray.

"i don't think it'll be that bad." she said before taking a bit of food. After that Blake was slowly realizing just how much the conversation weighed for her. He didint know till later she wanted to run away.

"she wanted to hide in my house." he thought inside. It was a place away from both her home and the school. Asking if his parents wernt home so that she could maybe sneak in. safer then wandering the world at 12 years old.  
"this was the last time I saw her before ..." he thought. Growing worried at knowing he mite have to relive the gritty deals of whats to come. The world fogged around him, zooming by into a new environment.

He felt minor relief recognizing he wasint in the school any longer. Heart dropping at the sight of standing in a court room wearing a suit. Watching the court room buzz around in blur's yet somehow recognizing clearly what was going on. They were presenting evidence. The counselors papers detailing Jessica as a possible runaway & the fake signature, the "suicide" note, Father Loutermilchs recommendation not to have her leave for the trip, those horrifying tapes of a home diary, and the very rope her body was hanging from.

Now it was Blakes turn to come up, after being brought in again from the tapes no longer playing. He felt himself walking up against his will. Speaking out words with no control over them despite desperately wanting to. He was regretting every word he heard himself speaking. Thinking about how he could have reworded it better or more details he could have given to help the conviction.

He remembered this part very clearly. The final judgment of only 2 years with the judge throwing more praise at the monster then scolding. Talking about his good deeds that and charity this. It made Blake sick with a burning fire of rage growing inside him. Then there was that monsters face bearing a big ugly smug he gave Blake as if he won. Staring at Blake the entire way as the young boy left with his family out the door.

Past the double doors the world changed. Meeting again with the wall of hanging watchers. Swallowing as they stared him down with laughter building up to drown out any other noise. The laughter only broken by lynns voice speaking to him.

"run or else your going to be late." she told him from somewhere in the dark void.

"late for what?!" he shouted in questioning, confused as to what it meant. He wasint going anywhere, but to a town. He wasint aiming to meet anybody.

"What could i possibly be late for, my funeral?!" he shouted. Everything going quite that only Blake could hear his heart beating in his chest.

"deliverance." the wall hangers announced in unison before going deathly quiet again.

"... deliverance?" Blake repeated in mumbled confusion.

"hes coming." he heard Jessicas voice speak in a whisper. He looked back to the close courtroom double doors. Seeing a black poison seep out from its edges to kill the pulsating organic wall. Turing the once bright red flesh to a decaying black rotting mass.

Seeing the dark poison creep closer to his feet. He ran of down the still living tunnel of flesh. passing by all the watching wall hangers.

"where do I go?!" he questioned through his wheezing breath.


	15. Admission

Blake woke up in a wheezing gasping fit for air. Getting the attention from Val at the entrance over him panicking.

"oh god. … how long was I out?" he asked between breaths.

"only a few hours." she answered.

"dammit." he breathed, getting frustrated. The increasing migraine and all around feeling of being ill making it all the worse. He's only dealt with this for a few days. The thought of suffering this for years being unimaginable to him.

"No wonder everything went to shit so suddenly in these woods." he thought as he caught his breath.

"... deliverance … what a joke." he mumbled, remembering the last bit of his dream. Looking back to the entrance toward Val. Seeing her again staring out toward the trees.

"i can take over if you want to sleep." he offered.

"no." she stated.

"you should sleep." he pressed a little.

"i know." she snapped.

"... do you see something?" he asked. Seeing Val not taking her eyes away from whatever she stared at. He was given no answer to the question.  
" … are you afraid?"he asked, thinking on how she was suffering the same as him. Maybe even seeing hallucinations just like he did before.

" I am not afraid of them." she stated, barely heard by Blake.

"do you … feel something else? … like what you mentioned in Templegate?" he asked awkwardly. Trying to avoid the creepy subject of lust.

"no!" she snapped with a glare toward him. Her tone heavy with a sense of disgust as what he mentioned.

"... is it the kids? … your notes say that's when the nightmares came." he asked.

" … it was only on those ending days I got the nightmares. I felt I had to leave … but I was still stupidly naive about faith … about Knoth. I stayed and so did everybody else. I stayed … " Val hesitantly started, finding it difficult to speak by the end. Stopping to take a few breaths before she started up again.

"i stayed because of my kids … not blood … but I took care of them just the same. … they were my only happiness in that disgusting town. … then that dreaded day came. Knoth made an announcement that god warned him of that stupid illusion.

The antiChrist inhabiting a kid. even the already born weren't safe to harbor. … he said they all had to go. They would be safer up above in heaven. ... They bought my comforting words of going to paradise. In a way i am sure I bought them to, to help feel better. The days leading up we prepared them all. Keeping them passive like sheep when you line them up in the slaughterhouse.

It rallied everyone up through fear. We all waited and now it finally seemed like the end was on the doorstep.

Knoth had me go first in front of every other parent in line. Only me … all of them … in two days … then it was over. Then the next parent and their children went.

After that I was congratulated like a saint. … but I didn't feel like one. The nightmares came, getting worse each night … tried speaking to Knoth, as if he could sweep all the pain away." a pained laughed coming out on the last sentience.

"... i tried speaking with others. Knoth didn't like that at all. … only followers of the enemy would feel guilt. … the nightmares are to punish the wicked … only a heretic would hate following the lord's word. He went on and on about my negative thinking. The others stopped speaking to me, I was shunned besides a few others. They were parents as well with the visions of killing their children. We made that secret place by the lake shore to talk. If nightmares were to punish us, why were we praised after the deed we were commanded to do for the lord?

That didn't go on long before I finally had enough of knoths voice speaking through those hanging radios. I left with a group of others determined to make him feel all the pain I did those last few days. I was going to become everything he hated, everything he didn't want me to be. I would bring to earth his worst fear just so I could know he would suffer. Even in the mines I could still hear the radios. Him announcing that he knew I was a sinner all along, going to work for the enemy. From that point he was looked at like a god who could see everything. All the greater the insult toward my old loyalty to the town." she finished. Taking deep breaths to hold herself together.

"i see my kids out there. … between the trees asking why. … but I can't answer why because no answers I can think of feel good enough to tell them." she spoke, quickly wiping away some tears building up.

"... there was nothing you could do. … Knoth would have had someone kill them if you refused. He wouldn't have had them be merciful about the killings either. It would have been impossible to run with over 40 kids into the forest. Knoth was already distrustful of you due to that voice in his head." Blake tried removing some of her guilt.

"... what are your nightmares?" she asked.

"... a monster … from when I was young … he was a father like Knoth. he hurt someone I deeply cared for. I knew something was wrong, but I was too late to save her. I had to relive it so multiple people could help me. In the end it's like I never said anything. He got away with it all like he committed a small mistake." he answered.

"where's your monster now?" she asked.

"don't know. Hopefully dead if he's not locked up for something else." he spoke, a numb sensation washing over him about the subject.

"let's hope that both our monsters are dead." she breathed.  
"i am going to take a walk." she spoke with a tired voice.

"your not going to run again are you?" Blake asked. Val pausing a few steps away from the entrance.

"maybe it's better if we separate." she spoke with a melancholy tone. Blake started quietly at Vals facing back.

"wed have to separate at some point." he thought for a brief moment.  
"we can at least stay together till we reach the city limits." he spoke.

"hesitating on going our ways is going to bring trouble. It's a mistake to keep this going any longer." she stated.

"why?" he reflexively asked.

"why?! Why do you think why?!" she snapped in frustration toward him.  
"this wont work. Drop it!" she added on. Turning forward to walk off into the darkness.

"if you don't come back i'll come looking for you!" he shouted as Val left his sight.

"hesitation is a mistake." he barely heard her speak from the darkness.

"... now what?" he thought. He didn't want to sleep for the rest of the night. Val went off, leaving him alone for who knows how long.

"guess I should make plans for when we actually get to the town. … when I … get to the town." he thought, looking down to the gravel mixed dirt.  
"should still have tons of money in my bank account. Take some out, get a hotel, real food. Call FBI however I can to expose Murkoff out here. Let FBI take over from there and that's about it." Blake summed up in his mind.

"..." he sat there in the quiet darkness, already getting nervous about where Val headed off to.  
"if she did leave, the longer I wait the more of a head start she has before I go looking. Should I wait 5 minutes or 10 minutes? Should I go now? Even if I do go looking, and it turns out she does want to leave, what would I say? Should I really beg her to stay? Just outright say I want her to come with me?" he argued in thought.

"lynn would never forgive me if I did bring her. After what she did. I should be the one wanting to leave not begging her to stay." he thought, looking up from the ground to the sky.

"just til we're out of the canyon. Then we go. … its set." he mumbled to himself. Half of him accepting the time frame while the other half felt sick at knowing a clock was ticking down now.  
"why can't I be happy with any decision I make? I always second guess myself. I could have always said or done more when I look back. I'll get over it … someday." he mumbled again.

"it's probably been about 5 minutes. I should go find Val and tell her about it." he said while rising to his feet. Grabbing the fur to roll up for travel. Using the night gun scope to follow footprints she left behind. Finding her not far seated on a rock at the river's edge.

"you couldn't have waited for me?" she asked as Blake approached.

"it's been 5 minutes." he mumbled a little.

"it's only been 2." she informed.

"oh, … well i am used to staring at a watch for time keeping." he chuckled. Getting no response from Val as she stared down at the slow moving water.  
"i thought of when we can split. Once were out of the canyon. I can just follow the river alone the rest of the way. It shouldn't be that hard, right?" he spoke, trying to sound a little cheerful, expecting the same reaction from Val at hearing the news.

"it shouldn't." she spoke, barely above a whisper. Not sounding very excited by the news. Blake stood by watching her for any kind of reaction. Trying to figure out exactly what she was feeling at the moment.

"what are you thinking about?" he simply decided to ask. Being unable to separate any idea of what Val felt.

"all the things my mother said. Trying to find the best solution to my future decisions." she answered.

"any of it helpful?" he asked.

"not for some decisions. Most of her talk was about survival. Doing anything to just survive, but not so much about actually living happily. I assume because there was no happiness to gain in Templegate, it was all about reaching the next day. She couldn't even smile at me till her illness came for fear of punishment.

She was caring like any mother, at least as much as Knoth would allow. She wasn't allowed to feed me or help me if I was hurt. She was smart in how she went around him. Leaving perfectly good food out and telling me to get rid of it. She never told me specifically I could have it, or asked what I did with it. She never wanted to talk about any "missing" food either. Helping me with sickness by telling me stories on how others treated themselves." Val spoke.

"when she started getting sick she hid it. Shoving aside what Knoth said to teach me as much as she could before she'd get too sick. Half the subjects were not normally talked about till working age of 12 years. She wouldn't let me leave the kitchen table the entire day. Studying different plants till I could name them just by a single flower or leaf. During the night the subject changed to animals. Preparing meat, handling, basic farm care for all beasts. Letting me practice carving on small animals like snakes. After she was gone the adults claimed the house. Living space was running incredibly low and I found the forest more comfortable after that point. … its also empty. … very void of any contact." she finished. A long silence filling the air between them. She stood from her rock to face him with an expression of indifference.

"want to walk ahead?" she asked, gesturing toward half the canyon with an arm.

"you should sleep." he spoke with a caring tone.

"i'll sleep when we reach the end." she stated.

"now who's avoiding sleep. You kept telling me to sleep when I refused." he stated back to her. Gaining a glare from her as she wasn't in the mood for being scolded about it. Turning away from him to stare out at the tree line.  
"you still see the kids?" he asked.

"no, they've been gone a few minutes now." she answered.

A loud bang echoed down the canyon. The two stopping there conversation to listen for anything else. There was no other sounds following the gunshot. No yelling, screaming, or any howls from a wolf.

"what do you think that was for?" Blake asked.

"misfire, my guess. That was really close." Val answered.

"wait … there down here, still?" Blake questioned.

"yes, why wouldn't they be?" Val asked.

"the waves have been hitting us here. That means they've been affected by it too." he answered.

"do you want to go look?" she asked.

"yeah, come on." he gestured for her to follow. Needing to use the night scope less and less as the bright moonlight slowly revealed from a moving cloud. The two sticking close together as they approached the directional origin of the noise.

Every little moving branch of leaves having Blake stumble his pace. Each glance of movement looking like a grouping of those wall watchers staring down. He took multiple deep breaths to calm himself. Anxiety rising over the hallucinations getting worse. The moving shadows across the bark shifting to look like the pulsating meat.

"don't, don't, not now." he mumbled indistinguishably to himself. Fearing he would see it any second to hunt him from around a tree.

He looked up at one strange shape in the trees. Panicking backwards with a gasp as he saw the twisted human outline. Seeing jagged teeth just below a pair of burning yellow eyes.

Val grabbing his arm to stop him from going any further. The momentary contact having the hallucination smear away. But not all of the figure disappeared.

The dark human shape remained in the tree. Splotches of moonlight broken by shadow branches waving over the form.

"hanged himself." Val stated as the two looked up at the body. A black wire going from his neck to a large branch. Blake looking away as he felt sick at the imagery. After swallowing his stomach down he continued forward. Gun at the ready if need be. After seeing that he wasint sure what else they'd find.

Walking up to a camp that was empty of life. Only a small glow from a dead fire with burning embers left in its place. Destroyed tents that were shredded apart. Blood stains soiling the fabric down to a trail across the dirt. The bright red liquid leading to another body with a knife protruding from its neck. Another body off to the side with a branch slammed through there stomach. Embers surrounding a dark part of the wood from possibly being pulled from a once burning fire.

"looks like they attacked each other." Blake spoke out as he cautiously explored the camp of bodies.  
"val wait!" Blake exclaimed as he saw her going into a, still standing, blood covered tent.

Running in and immediately seeing the sight he saw had him flinching back. Standing at the doorway to stare back into the wilderness.

"there's the gun." Val pointed toward the body holding the weapon toward a mangled head. Brains and blood splattered against the back of the tent aside from a large hole from the bullet exiting.

"you should get out." Blake spoke with a sickened groaned. Keeping his head turned away from the inside of the tent.

"only looking for supplies." Val said as she checked over the bodies pockets. Leaving empty handed when nothing but plastic wrappers came up. The gun being empty with no more ammo in sight.

"why'd they get like this?" Blake mumbled to himself as he slowly wandered the camp again.

"some handle their demons better than others. They had a hard time facing all of theirs just like many others i've seen." Val answered, despite his question not aimed toward her. Her gaze directed up at the towering trees above. Blakes gaze following hers to a mass of dangling bodies above them.

"committing every crime against humanity can weigh on your shoulders." Blake bitterly spoke up at the bodies.

"our path is clear now if they're all like this." Val chuckled at the bodies.

"lets take our chance while its available then." Blake shivered off the creepy feeling of the surrounded freshly hanged looking down.

"gets us to the end sooner." Val breathed out. Her slightly happy demeanor dropping. Following along behind him.

The sight of hanging bodies leaving a lasting impact as the hallucinations returned. Pulsating trees of flesh, bodies in the trees staring down on him. Visions of that monsters silhouette stalking him from the shadows.

He breathed through the panic threatening to rise as his body tensed. Knuckles turning white from the death grip he had of the rifle. His deep breathing that so many therapists suggested turning more into hyperventilating.

"blake-" Val barely got out before Blake nearly jumped out of his skin. He'd gotten so deep into his paranoia he forgot she was following.

"... why so nervous?" she asked with a calm voice.

" … nightmares … they seem to follow me everywhere." Blake hyperventilated to the point of wheezing. stopping when Val punched him in the arm.

"stop breathing like that or your going to pass out." Val scolded him. Blake getting a quick hold of his breathing after the pain.  
"what are you seeing?" she asked him with a serious tone.

"that man … that monster ... following me." he breathed out.

"is that all?" she spoke as more of a statement then a question.

"is that all." Blake mocked her voice with growing irritation. Val letting out a small laugh at the mimic.

"your monster isn't here. It can't touch you so you have nothing to be afraid of." she spoke with confidence.

"easy for you to say. You don't see some mangled monster of bloody parts with teeth like a saw blade." he said while rubbing away a growing headache.

"nightmares can't touch you, no matter how much they try to convince you otherwise. Don't allow them to waste your life away." she said. Walking a few feet ahead of Blake.

"yeah, when I feel my intestines being ripped out i'll remember that." Blake mumbled behind her.

"you should." she said while continuing on. Her tone shifting to aggravation as Blakes breathing picked up again.

"why do you keep doing that?" she asked, annoyed.

"i was told to do it to help keep calm." he breathed out quickly.

"either you were told wrong or you're doing it wrong. Its not working for you." she said back to him.  
"dancing would give you a better breathing pace at this point. Why don't you do that?" she asked.

"i don't know how to dance." he said.

"you don't know how to dance?" she asked with a raised brow.

"i rehearsed some dancing for a play … when I was young. … I haven't done it since." he explained.

"i can help show you." Val smiled as she turned to look at him. Taking a few steps backwards before stopping.

"where did you learn to dance?" Blake asked, suspicious as to what Val considered "dancing" in her mind. She might merely be thinking of something sexual for all he knew.

"opposite sexes weren't allowed to be alone together unless married. Any courting had to be done in public. Dancing was the main thing for a while till eventually Knoth forced everyone to settle for someone. He wanted his flock to grow quickly and the courting got all in the way. Yet marriage still had to be done.

Being a deacon I wasn't allowed to dance or court. It was considered a distraction of duty. However my kids wanted to learn how to dance, so I taught them." she explained with a smile.

"and how do you dance?" Blake asked, skeptical still.

"let me show you." Val smiled with her hand out. Blake hesitantly took her hand after a moments thought about it.

"take both hands, face each other, and leave space-" he went in his mind when he rehearsed the dance. Letting out a breath of surprise when Val pulled him close against her.

"just stay close and we'll both go slow this time for practice." Val informed happily.

"s-shouldn't we leave room for Jesus?" Blake stuttered a little. The Jesus thing being a common subject in school to remind kids about space. without exactly going into details why close contact wasn't allowed. They even made sure by sticking a ruler between the middle space of the two dancers.

"he can find his own dance." she teasingly joked over Blakes words.

"just follow me and take a step." she spoke while slowly leading Blake for the first step. Blake letting out a nervous breath after doing so.  
"see, your breathing is better already." she spoke with a smile as she lead him slowly further into the steps.

"think so?" he spoke out nervously. Heart shooting up into his throat as his leg hit a branch, sending both falling to the ground. Blake letting out a groan of pain while Val laughed.

"you dance pretty good for someone who doesn't. Just need to watch your steps better." she smiled while getting up. Helping Blake up when she was standing.

"i do better on actual floor then shifting dirt." he hissed while wiping away some gravel embedded into his back.

"i bet you do." she said with her happy tone dying again.  
"shall we continue?" she asked, continuing on before he could give an answer.

"why does she change so much?" he thought on Vals shifting between happy and just neutral traveling.

The rest of the travel continuing on without another word to each other. Blake looking up at the clear sky changing from night to sunrise. Watching as the stars slowly disappeared. Everything feeling so much better past the canyon. Fresh air helping to clean the migraine he developed with the night terrors.

The canyon clearing to a open forest space filled with trees under the morning orange glow. Morning frost around the river melting away. Birds singing between the trees with a few chased away by squirrels. The forest becoming more and more healthy the farther they got.

Blake was about to ask how many more days till they reach the town, now that they were out of he canyon. Remembering it was no longer a traveling for the both of them. He went against asking anything. Preferring to follow her as long as she seemed to allow. Deep inside he had to accept something past his denial.

" … how many days. Now that w- … the canyons past?" he asked, avoiding the word we.

"following the river to a waterfall will be two days walking. Climbing down into a bigger canyon to continue. Follow that with the river for 3 more days till the river begins to turn. Another day or two from the river bend will be the town." she answered a bit quietly. The two walking on with only the songs of flying birds by the running river breaking the silence.

The river running near a steep slope that slowly turned into a cliff drop. Two cliffs being near enough to resemble the earth cracking in two. Creating an opening leading down to a shadowy darkness that the sun could not reach. Blake swallowing at the thought of falling off it as he tried to see the bottom.

"don't look too far over please." Val spoke in mild teasing mixed with seriousness. Both knowing the events the last time Blake looked too far over a cliff edge.

"yeah." Blake merely spoke as he got far away from the edge. Walking a few moments longer till Val stopped at stepping on dry gravel dirt. She looked down to kick a rock into the river. Looking up to stare into the distance toward the far mountains. Keeping away from showing her face toward Blake.

Both knew it was time to part.

"... you want the jacket?" Blake asked awkwardly. Wanting to say something, but not knowing what he could say. Awkwardly standing behind Val, a little away, with no answer coming from her. She brought her hands up together against her face, shutting her eyes. Fighting with herself inside over some difficult decision. Taking some deep breaths before dropping her hands with a sigh.

"what will you be doing in the town?" Val asked suddenly.

"figure out where to take all this. Talk to the FBI." Blake answered.

"and after that?" she asked.

"..." Blake paused at the question. a question he hadn't thought about too much.  
"return to my job … alone. That is if the government doesn't force me into witness in hiding. retire maybe, try and travel the world I guess." he answered, having no idea what to say about his future plans.

"try to make a family?" she continued asking.

" … I don't know. … in the far future maybe." he answered. Finding Vals questions digging a little deep.

"have anyone you'd like to be with?" she asked with a deep breath.

"nooo. … Why are you so interested in questions now?" he asked back with a raised eyebrow. Letting out an awkward chuckle.

"to gather answers." she stated, fidgeting with her sleeve.

"answers for what?" he asked with suspicion.  
"trying to ask if she can come along with me?" he thought.

Val took a deep breath looking to the ground before speaking.

"i … love you." she admitted.


	16. Deliverence

"WHAT?!" Blake exclaimed, having it echo back he was so loud. almost choking on his own spit he was halfway through swallowing.  
"what did you say?!" he shouted out of shock.

"i love you." she repeated, turning to face him. Keeping a calm expression about her.

"don't say that! Don't you dare say that!" he yelled with anger building deep inside.

"I can't ignore it." she spoke of the matter casually.

"what, why, when? when did this thought come up?!" Blake blurted out his questions in a scrambled form of thought. His mind racing at the shock of the matter.

" I first felt something when you became sick. It grew from there despite not wanting it to. I only accepted it last night." she explained.

" well fuckin gee, isint that great for you?!" Blake exclaimed in anger.  
"you shouldn't - I didn't - " he started differently each time. His own mind stopping his words. He really didn't want to know, but did for possible safety over his well being. Same reason why he'd rather she never told him this, but did.

"I'm sorry." she apologized with a breath of air.

"you're sorry?! Fuck off your sorry!" he shouted.

"are you also sorry for everything you put me through?! Kidnapping my girlfriend to do who knows what?! After you strangled her unconscious! Then, when I come, you have me almost killed by your "loves". Chased me through tunnel after tunnel with corpses! The mud, the water, remember that whole fucking thing?! Then the end with more of that fucking powder! I sure fucking do, every painful moment of it!" he roared with tears building up.

"next you're going to tell me, that forcing yourself on me was showing your love too, right?! I sure as hell didn't love it! I should fucking leave, this whole thing was a mistake! I could have been just as fine on my damn own!" he continued. Wiping away all of his tears at the end. Taking deep breaths to get his asthma under control after all that yelling.

Val was silent as she watched Blake. Honestly not wanting to interrupt his angered yelling at her. She looked to the floor for a moment in thought on what to say.

"i thought you'd be happy. … with it all." she said quietly.

"you thought I'd be happy?! Happy from what?! That you forced me into an orgy after almost killing me?! What part of any of that sounded good?!" he shouted again toward her. Eyes remaining watery as he held more tears. Val paused again for a moment.

" … I don't know." she spoke, honesty coming through in her voice.

"you don't know?! How could you possibly not know?! Is it because you ignored it all?!" he snapped.

"no ..." she spoke again.

"what exactly don't you know then?!" he snapped again.

" … a lot of things." she answered. After getting a confused look from Blake she tried to explain better.

" I … remember doing those things … but I didn't like how far it went. Some things I liked, while other things I don't understand why I liked them so much. … it felt like I was someplace else while it all happened. I wanted it all to stop deep down, but it kept getting worse. Pain that was closely followed by burning lust. Horrific dreams that haunted my sleep. Finding myself deep in the mines without most my memory's when I went out.

Its like I was slowly being buried underneath it all. Over time it got harder to see what was going on. Trying to tell what was a dream or real. Some parts twist every time I try remembering or smear into a blur. The few parts I do remember was after things would calm. Before the horns and the lights blinded everyone again. I felt relief when the darkness came. … then I woke up." she explained to him.

"i panicked at the thought of what I was going to do. I just laid there ... near a pile of rocks with crushed bodies underneath. Thinking any moment it would all go away again, but it didn't. ... Eventually I got up, finally feeling like I was in my body after so long." she ended. Swallowing at the end with difficulty.

Blake remembered his times going through the "school" following Jessica. How many times he felt yanked from his body. Falling back into it with no idea where or how he got someplace. It was an unnerving experience for anyone to feel.  
"when did you start to feel disconnected?" he asked.

" … when my kids ..." she swallowed. having some obvious trouble answering.  
" … please don't leave." she begged softly.

Blake swallowed nervously at what she said. Thoughts rushing through his paranoid mind. Is she telling the truth? How would this journey work out now? Should he stay? He took a deep nervous breath.

...

"no."

he breathed.

Val looked away with a painful swallow. His answer was clear, he was leaving like he said. The two standing without anymore words for each other. Blake looked to the ground for a moment to gather his voice.

"i can give you half the smoked meat … before I go." he offered. Not wanting to just abandon her with nothing after dragging her so far along.

"no, you'll need it more in the canyon. I can catch more deep in the mountain forests." she refused with a shake of her head.

" … bye." he said, ending it all with that final word. He left with the jacket hung around a shoulder, the gun slung over the other. Letting out a few deep calming breaths when wiping away the building tears in his eyes.

Far away from where they separated Blake was trying his hardest to get over the situation. Kicking rocks angrily into the water. Picking up a few heavy rocks with both hands to chuck far away into the brush.

"god why does it have to be this way?!" he growled in his head.  
"can't anything go fucking good for me?!" he angrily mumbled.

"WHY DID YOU LET ALL THIS HAPPEN?! DO YOU HATE HUMANITY SO MUCH?! DO YOU HATE ME?! WHAT HAVE I DONE?!" he roared at the sky to a god he didn't expect to answer.

"deliverance, what a fucking joke!" he said to the sky.  
"i bet after all that walking in the desert only to be rejected at the doorstep of salvation. had many wanting Moses to be eaten by crocodiles." he thought bitterly, not caring if he upset any god up above.

"the only thing i'm late for is a bed at a warm hotel with a burger." he grumbled, kicking more rocks into the river, away from his path. Feeling the burning fire of anger slowly die inside of him.

"i've made my choice. I am happy with it." he told himself. A knot forming in his stomach the further he stepped.  
"then why am I not happy?" he mumbled.

"just a fact of life I have to get used to." he thought bitterly again. His thoughts dyeing as he focused on the crunching gravel below his feet. Looking toward the growing orange sky as the sun slowly rose over the mountainous terrain. Lighting the tops of trees to resemble a shifting fire across the land.

His eyes shooting across the land of something glinting on the horizon. That horrible chopping noise of blades flying on the wind. The large black helicopter appearing from the blinding orange sky. The helicopter heading his way forcing Blake to start running. Remembering the last time he got away from the copter was to bury himself into the cold.

Dropping his water sensitive things, he leapt into the morning cold water of the river. Completely submerging himself for a few minutes. Hearing the chopper hovering close above. It stayed around for only a moment before flying off down the river. Blake coming out of the water for a gasp of air. letting out a sigh of relief at the sight. A sudden nervous thought jumped into his mind. The helicopter was heading off in the direction of Val.

He swam back to shore, making a sprint to follow it. Blake breaking out in a run as he saw how far off the helicopter was getting ahead. Attempting to run even faster when he heard the sound of a machine gun roaring up to speed. Blakes wheezing forcing him to slow against his will. Only able to watch the helicopter disappear from view past the tree tops.

He wheezed as his body threatened to collapse a lung. The sounds of the helicopter going quiet bringing up some hope that it had flown past to the canyon. He hurried through the trees, not noticing one important detail in his hurry.

A large fist coming out to slam into Blakes face. Knocking him back to the ground in pain. Getting roughly yanked back up. Feeling the jacket and gun yanked off of him along with the bag of food, medical supplies, and knoths journal.

Before he could get out a word of protest he was punched in the gut. Shoved to the ground again to be kicked in the ribs. Having his already terrible breathing grow worse. Again being yanked up to his feet to be shoved forward. Surrounded by a heavily armed group of men.

"quit dragging your feet and move!" wicker shouted down before shoving Blake into the open. The man adjusting his loose jaw with one hand. Throwing Blake against another wall of heavily armed men. They quickly got a hold of Blake with a firm painful grip. Feeling another painful punch to the gut when he tried struggling free.

All Blake could do was flinch or curl into himself in an attempt to protect his body. Fearfully shaking as he wondered what was going to happen. He stayed frozen to just regain some of himself. Figuring out what was really broken after all the hits thrown. Watching blood drip from his face to puddle at the dirt floor.

"pretty stupid of you two. That whole canyon was a easy funnel set up. Only two exits we had to wait around. Easy catch." wicker mocked with a crooked grin. Shifting his jaw back and forth as his grin dropped into an annoyed frown. Looking off toward a group of men nearby surrounding Val. All of them making some sort of mocking joke. Some of them being highly sexual.

"come on girly can't you smile at all?" one of them teased as Val gave him a cold glare. Standing confidently tall despite her position. Slowly leaning back as the man went to touch her face.

"just give us a smile and we won't-" the man spoke with a smile before regrettably touching Vals bottom jaw. In a flash with a loud snap he was screaming in pain with Vals jaws covered in blood. The man's hand pouring blood all over the dirt as he fell down in agony. Val turning her head to spit out two fingers and a mouth full of collected blood. The two appendages going far enough to go off the cliff edge, never to be found for reattachment.

"she fucking bit me!" the soldier yelled in pain.

"what did you expect you moron. Don't mess with it. That's the genetic freak 2nd red marker." wicker growled with gritted teeth. The other men who swarmed immediately losing interest after the information.

"can't have you messing anymore shit up during transport." he frowned as he approached Val with a knife.

"hey!" Blake shouted, yanking forward to try stopping whatever he was about to do. Quickly shutting down with a punch to the head. Vals body tensing for whatever wicker was going to do. Collapsing when he stabbed into her stitched side. Shredding up while being sure to cut every stitch Blake worked so hard to make.

"it's all over. Get it onto the helicopter so we can move. Let it bleed out, doesn't matter if it lives." wicker commanded as he waved off the soldiers restraining Val. Yanking her along as blood pooled from her side.

"don't." Blake spoke out barely above a whisper as his head stopped spinning after the punch.

"release him, I want him to regret hitting me earlier. Let his name go down as an example over that traitor employee from mount massive." wicker spoke with a shift of his jaw. Blake being shoved out to the middle of a fighting ring of guards to challenge wicker. Landing painfully into the bloody dirt.

"get up!" wicker snapped, coming for Blake who had nowhere to go. When he refused to move wicker yanked him up by his shirt. Only to beat him back down into the dirt. Guards cheering and hollering as Blake was beat down without a punch coming from him.

After what seemed like forever Blake panicked at this being his final moments. Wheezing breaths coming out over the heavy taste of blood. His body wracked with pain he was sure so many things were broken. If he was going to die he could at least get one satisfaction out of it.

Yanked to his feet once again by a grinning wicker having fun. Before he could get another satisfying punch on Blake, he got a hard punch instead. A snapping noise sounding off as wickers mask was broken. Falling to the dirt in pieces. The cheering soldiers going deathly quiet.

Wicker shooting dagger eyes at Blake when he felt his mask missing. A massively scared half of his face revealed. Wires with drilled in pinned rods following his broken jaw. Long gouges going up his face to the top of his head. Large chunks of flesh missing from his face from what looked like bite marks with layered claw marks.

It stunned Blake as he stared, barely flinching in time as he was punched in the face. Staggering back, yet somehow keeping on his feet. Feeling something wrong when his heel did not connect to any land. He had no time to look as he flinched at wicker grabbing a gun. Preparing to be shot, but instead getting knocked back with the butt of the heavy rifle. Feeling himself fall back further and further than normally.

Just seeing the cliff edge being outlined by wicker and his guard watching him fall. Blake seeing them for a moment of time that seemed slowed down. Seeing darkness close in on his eyesight as wicker and his men disappeared. Blacking out fully before he felt the pain of hitting the bottom.

* * *

"is he dead?" the soldier holding his bitten arm asked.

"i didn't see him hit the bottom. You'll be going to make sure he is." wicker cracked his jaw.

"what?!" the soldier exclaimed.

"bring back his body. Finish him if he's not cold already." wicker spoke coldly.

"but I need a doctor!" the injured man exclaimed.

"medical here!" wicker shouted over his men. A soldier bearing a med patch coming forward with a box of first aid from the copter.  
"fix him. And 5 of you go with those two." wicker commanded.

"what about your mask sir." the medic barely got out.

"what about it?!" wicker snapped with hate filled eyes. Glaring the doctor into backing away in fear.

"n-nothing sir!" the doctor stuttered as he quickly went to fix the soldiers hand. The two with a small group of volunteers heading off on foot with the helicopter going off with Val.

* * *

Blake woke with a massive feeling of pain. Opening his eyes to darkness surrounding him. The dark slowly edging away to reveal walls of bodies surrounded by pulsing flesh.

"where am I? What the hell happened?" Blake thought as he rubbed a headache away. Slowly remembering events in flashes. Leaving Val, nightmare helicopter, blood, fighting, and blackout.  
"dammit, where's the helicopter?! Wheres Val?! All the way back at the lab by Templegate?!" his mind raced as he got to his feet. Heart sinking at the thought of traveling the entire way back. It would be impossible and far too late to save Val.

"oh fuck." Blake mumbled to himself at seeing the staring bodies.  
"why, why am I here?! I can't be here?! I don't have time for this!" he thought, looking down the narrow organic halls forward and behind him.

"got to find an exit!" he mumbled, running off down a hall without a thought. Looking for any sort of door down the multiple halls. Growing tired from pain at wheezing for air. He had to stop against his will to continue forward. Examining the walls for any hint at an exit. Finding nothing in the bloody vain showing skin that twitched in waves.

He held his breath at the sight of a darkness pooling into the flesh. His heart speeding at the sight of a tall horrifying shadow approaching.

"help me with this mess or you'll be sent away." the corrupted voice threatened.  
"pray for your sins enemy of god!" knoths distorted voice shouted.  
"god loves you." Marta voice claimed as it approached with mouths drooling thick blood.

"get away from me!" Blake shouted at the beast in fear. Bolting off down the hall to get away from it. Running blindly down dark tunnels that only allowed him to see 5 feet in front of him. The monster walking so effortlessly behind him. Blake ran through a double metal door before he could even realize what it was.

He froze at the new surrounding. Recognizing immediately where he was.

"my house." he wheezed out. But it wasn't the house he lived in adulthood. A small squeak having his shaky body flinch. His head whipping over to the noise. Staring with a unnatural feeling of being out of body at the sight of himself, only as a young boy. Watching his younger self play with a toy truck with squeaky wheels.

Panicking at the sight of darkness seeping through the cracks in the doors he just entered. Blood oozing out thickly at the bottom of them. He held his body against the door as he knew it was getting closer. Hearing its suffocating gurgling from the other side. followed by more blood pooling under Blakes feet at the doorways foundation.

Struggling to keep the doors shut as they were banged on repeatedly. Blake shouted and cried to his younger self. Trying to get him to run or leave. In the end he had gotten no reaction from the boy playing. Crying as he had to leave or be caught by the monster breaking the door down.

"what about-?! What do I do?!" he thought, looking to his younger self. Scared back from the door as a wired limb stabbed through the thick wood. Forcing Blake to abandon the house through the back door. Feeling the need to vomit as he heard his younger self scream out in pain. along with the sound of meat being torn apart. He looked back seeing a splatter of blood coat the double glass door he escaped from.

Nothing left for him at the house he ran out into the heavy fog covered street. Shaking fearfully as he hurried through to get as far away as possible from the beasts footsteps. Running up to the neighbors doors banging for help. Getting no answer and unable to see through the pitch black windows. After trying a couple more houses he skipped the rest to just runaway down the street.

Feeling like he ran for ages against his asthma. Stopping when he spotted the playground he and lynn always met at.

"hi Blake! … whats wrong?" lynn greeted him from atop the large jungle gym. Her happy tone shifting to concern at the sight of him.

"lynn?! … run! get away from here!" he shouted through desperate wheezing with large pained eyes.

"... did you run away?" she asked. Unable to recognize Blakes desperate situation. Asking him the same question when they first met at the playground like a recording.

Blake looking back with a sinking heart as he heard the deep gurgling breaths of the monster approaching. Razor jagged teeth with glowing bright eyes shining against its dark silhouette.

"RUN AWAY!" he shouted again desperately. Repeating over and over despite her expression not understanding him.

"you can't run away you know. … I know its hard for you, but don't let this eat your life away." she spoke, looking down to him. The sentence coming off as strange. The first half he remembered, but it went on instead of stopping. He stood there in stunned silence before spotting it from the corner of his eye. He had to run again. Forcing himself to leave the young lynn behind just like he did to himself. Getting sick at the repeating child screams of pain along with shredding meat.

He stopped in a alley a few blocks down from the park. Leaning against a brick wall to wheeze in some air. Breathing through his sickness as to not vomit.

"what am I doing? Why am I running? ... I couldn't save Jessica or lynn. … how can I save myself?" he thought pessimistically, staring down at the bottom of the wall.  
"maybe I should just … wait here." he thought, growing tired of running.

"it's already taken so much … all that's left is me." he closed his eyes for a brief moment.  
"there's still Val." the voice deep in his mind reminded him. Opening his eyes to see the alley way crumbled to the pulsating walls of bloody meat. The hanging watchers returning to stare him down. Blakes depression turning to anger at their presence.

"what do you want?!" he roared up at them.  
"you've taken everything else! My friends, my childhood, my parents. What else could you possibly want?!" he cried up at them. The pain of everything washing over him.

"it's all your fault." the distorted voice spoke. Blake choking up at the mutated beasts appearance. Feeling his body uncontrollably shiver from rushing adrenaline.

"liar, sinner, murderer." knoths voice accused him as it stepped closer.  
"no use hiding." the man's voice mocked. All the fear in Blake being washed over by pain fueled hatred.

"i didn't do it!" he snapped at the creature. Having it laugh at his attempt at releasing anger. Having Blakes anger only grow more from all the mocking.

"i didn't kill Jessica, you did!" he snapped, pointing an accusing hand at the towering creature. The monsters laughing stopped with a snapping of its jaws.

"you kept the sin a secret you father of lies." the beat gurgled out with a growl.

"you lied!" Blake shouted at it. The beast going quiet with another snap of its jaws. The multiple staring hangers shifting there watching gaze onto the beast. The shifting gaze having the beast step back with a long drawn out hiss like a snake.

"you forced me to do it all! I didn't hang her! I didn't chase her till she broke her neck down the stairs. It was all you!" Blake continued a little more confidently. Trying to get as much out while he had the chance. The beast roared with both jaws opening wide to see every last rotten tooth.

"you couldn't save them. You failed and it's all your fault. Why didn't you do something?!" the beast accusingly mocked him again with a hiss.

"i didn't runaway. I tried to help unlike you! YOU COWARD!" Blake screamed. Startled when the monster let out a painful screech as its skin cracked with a burst of flame sprouting. Blake watched the creature writhe around as the fire spread over its body. Limbs turning black till they crumbled to the floor in a pile of ash. It stopped twisting to focus on Blake, heading for him in a charging form of bloody fire.

Blake turned into a run with the burning monster right at his heels. It wasn't long when Blake slowed to almost a stop as the creatures body melted away behind him. He stopped to watch the beast slow. Limbs falling off as it continued walking toward him. Its breath sounding suffocating for it. Its once high posture now crippling itself with the loss of many legs. The twisted wolfs head crumbling off to dust.

"all this time you've been eating my life away. You cant anymore." Blake told it. The beast momentarily sinking its body down with its bottom jaw falling off with a snap of skin. It let out one more angry gurgling hiss standing up straight again.

It lunged forward with its remaining arms to grab him. Blake jumping back to avoid it, falling to the floor. Watching as the creature was stopped by multiple rotting hands grabbing its body from the organic blood floor. Dragging it slowly down into a pool of forming blood.

Blake stood up from the floor to calmly watch the creature be dragged down to drown. Letting out a sigh of relief. feeling himself suddenly free of a burden on his shoulders that he was never aware of till now. He looked around with no clue where to head now. The walls of flesh now turning to cold dark stone. All the watchers disappearing after the beast burst into flames. He walked down the tunnel for a few steps. Seeing a blue light appearing at its end.

He stopped at the tunnels end where it grew into a massive room of stone. Looking at a large assembly of watchers staring toward him with a greater one at the middle. At a first glance it looked like one of those praying angel statues. Upon closer inspection someone would see past is fake holy posture.

Two massive wings make up of a thousand arms, each clawing into one another to hold everything up. A horned skull of some horse looking off to the side bearing no eyes but dark empty sockets. a spiked column of spinal boned neck leading down to connect at its shoulders. A thin bony body draped in shredded dark cloth. 4 arms brought together against its chest as if praying.

All the watchers surrounding the large twisted angel staring down at Blake. Beginning to whisper to each other over him. The treatment becoming annoying to Blake as he still couldn't tell what exactly they were whispering about him.

"some believe god and Satan are the same. Why cant angels and demons be just the same?" he thought, feeling nothing negative from the large entity. Despite its towering emaciated appearance of both animal to human parts. The whispering growing loud enough it was causing Blake a headache.

"what now?!" he shouted at them all. The whispering stopping with the large twisted angel forming a red glow where its eyes should be. It shifted its massive towering form with crackling being heard. Sounding like it had waited an eternity for that question to be asked. Slowly shifting its head to look further off to Blakes right. Taking away two arms from one side of its praying position to slowly point down toward a tunnel.

Blake looked to it, seeing a pure white light appear from it. He cautiously walked over to it. Keeping an eye on the watchers with there twisted angel as he had to pass by. Now walking down this bright white light lit tunnel. The cold stone going smooth like cut marble. Tensing when he saw two shadows approach. They were both too small to be adults.

"hi Blake! Nice to see you again!" Jessica smiled at him.  
"too bad for the circumstance." lynn half mumbled to the other. He swallowed back some tears at seeing the two. Unable to stop the rest of them from flowing out. He couldn't find any words in his mouth.

"no "hi" after all these years?" Jessica teased him, getting a small shove from lynn.

"don't tease him!" lynn giggled.

"why not? i haven't been able to do it in years! You know i am only joking." Jessica spoke to lynn, looking to Blake with a smile. Getting a shaky smile from Blake as he wiped away the tears with a happy nod.

"hey ..." he shakily got out. Fighting back the tears so he could actually talk to them.  
"am I - ..." was the only thing he could get out. Wiping away more tears.

"no." Jessica shook her head.

"you have a lot of things to do." lynn told him.

"you have to help someone else now." Jessica added.

"but … im sorry." he barely got out. Referring to his failure to save the both of them.

" you tried, you went farther than anybody else ever would. We know you're not superman, but you sure act like him." lynn spoke with confidence in him.

"that's why you have to go, because no one else will go so far to help." Jessica smiled.

"you have to go help her. i wont be mad just be happy, for me, when you do. Okay?" lynn smiled to him. Getting a teary eyed nod from Blake.

"good, now go kick some ass." Jessica grinned.

"I cant believe you said that." lynn snickered.

"i was never allowed to. Now I can." Jessica smiled triumphantly.  
"now you say it." she dared lynn with a small push.

"no!" lynn refused.

"yes! You got to say it more than me it should be easy!" Jessica challenged again.

"ugh, … go kick some ass." lynn mumbled in embarrassment, bringing up a fist arm of rooting. Getting a happy chuckle out of Blake.

"... time for you to go." Jessica informed, having Blake lose his smile.  
"don't worry, we'll see each other some day. When we do you gotta admit to lynn I won the tackle game." she teased him, getting another smile out of him.

"you nerd." he jokingly called her. Wiping away the final amount of tears he had.

"nerd." Jessica jokingly called him back.

Blakes smile dropping as the brightly lit area faded away with lynn and Jessica getting farther and farther away.

"goodbye Blake." they both said with a wave goodbye.

"bye." he shouted back while he could before watching them disappear. Darkness surrounding him in a void.

He woke up with his eyes blinded by sunlight beaming down. painfully looking away with a pop from his stiff neck. Looking up again to see the cliff edge from where he fell. It wasn't too far up possibly being about 15 - 20 feet.

"dammit, your still alive." Blake heard someone growl.  
"get up!" the man commanded. Blake looking over to see the soldier with a wrapped bloody hand. Recognizing him as the one with his fingers bitten off. Seeing no other choice at the moment he slowly rose up. His body wracked with pain forcing him to go slow.

When moving his hand he stopped at the feeling of something rough shifting over his open palm. Looking out of the corner of his eye he saw a stick shaped thing covered with a noticeable pattern of black diamonds.


	17. Hysteria

"the snake hasn't rattled yet." Blake thought.

"get up!" the soldier commanded again. Blake looking to him with an idea forming.

He grasped the deadly snake in his hand. Tossing it right into the soldiers face. Hearing the snake rattle its tail as it was flung away. As soon as it landed on the soldiers shoulder it flung its head up to bite the man's neck. Making it far too late by the time it was brushed off. Blake getting up to run behind a large rock not too far. The soldier chasing after him didn't get too far.

Hearing the mans gasping breath Blake looked around the rock toward him. Seeing the man hold his swollen neck as he slowly suffocated from the deadly venom. Another second longer he fell to his knees before dropping dead.

Blake stepped out from his hiding spot. Ignoring his painful body groaning against him. Looking down the small canyon he was in to figure where to go next. Deciding his best chances were where the Murkoff soldier probably came from. Climbing over rock piles or under large branches while trying to be as quiet as possible. Another thought coming to mind.

"i have no idea where they took Val. Did they take her all the way to Templegate?" he thought, taking a glance at the sky. The sky no longer suggesting it was early morning like when he fell. He hurried on with worry on what she could be going through.

"They weren't very interested in keeping up her health." he thought, cautiously climbing further through. Coming upon a group of two soldiers standing around talking amusing themselves.

"if I catch one, I can get information." Blake thought, reaching to where his bag would be. Remembering everything was taken from him.  
"fuck." he whispered to himself. Looking around for something heavy like a large rock.

"disarm, pin, and finish." Blake repeated in thought to himself. Remembering what Val taught him in the canyon. Grabbing a nearby large rock fitting in his palm. Creeping up behind the varying rocks to the closest one. He waited back till the soldier turned away. Slamming the large rock into the back of his skull hard enough to knock him out.

Throwing the rock into the second soldier before he could fire off his gun. The hit wasn't hard enough to knock out. Only forcing the soldier to fall back into the dirt. Blake tackling him into staying down. He yanked the soldiers gun away and tossed it far off into the dark rocks.

"get off of me!" the soldier shouted while Blake quickly searched him. Throwing away any radios or extra guns he found on the man.

"where did the helicopter go?!" Blake questioned, slamming the man into the ground. Repeating the action when no answer was given.  
"where?!" he growled.

"it went to the lab!" the soldier hissed in pain from his head repeatedly bashed.

"by Templegate?" Blake asked, heart sinking at failure already.

"no, into the desert. East of here." the soldier grumbled.

"how do I get there?!" Blake demanded to know. Receiving a glare from the soldier. Having no time to waste Blake couldn't wait for an answer. Raising his fist up threateningly.  
"tell me!" he snapped.

"fuck off!" the soldier snapped back. Getting a few punches from Blake before stopping to repeat his question.

"how do I get there dammit?!" Blake shouted down at him. Threatening to throw more punches.

"ahh, wait, wait!" the soldier panicked with a flinch.  
"follow this crevice for a while till you see a trail that goes up a steady walk way to high ground. At the top you should see the tower that stands by the building. But it's far out in the empty desert and there's more of us camping at the climb. You won't get far." the soldier informed, getting more of a mocking tone by the end.

now he had his information, however he had to deal with the two soldiers. Simply knocking them out was not an option. They would inform others he was around, or track him down themselves. With a deep breath he grabbed the metal shard from his back pocket. Feeling a twinge of guilt in his gut at what he was about to do, but it had to be done. Ignoring the multiple pleas to be let go he stabbed the soldier through the head. Getting off him to finish off the still unconscious one.

He closed his eyes feeling sick at the killings. He tried his best to clean it off before permanently putting it away while on his mission.

"follow the crevice, trail to high ground, and I should see the tower." Blake repeated as to not forget. Climbing over more varying rocks as he traveled the crevice.

Freezing when he made eye contact with another rattlesnake. The creature bringing is head back in a striking position. Flicking its tongue out repeatedly as it stared in his direction. Blake slowly moved around the snake, giving it a good 5 feet of free space away from him. The snake slowly shifting its body to watch him pass. While passing by, Blake noticed the snake, known for its rattling tail, was missing its important tail end.

"oh, I hope to never see you again Mr quiet." Blake mumbled as he made it by. Startled back by a bullet blasting by him. Sparking strongly against a nearby rock. Forcing him to hide behind the large boulder with the reptile. Carefully watching the snake as he hid around the rocks. The deadly serpent watching him back. Only looking away when a soldier approached to its side.

"don't move!" the soldier commanded as he approached closer to Blake. Unaware of the deadly danger becoming closer as well. The snake shaking its cut tail in warning of what was to come of the approaching stranger. Blake slowly took a step back, drawing the guard to take one last step closer. The snake lunging to bite at the armed man's shoulder. Blake bolting off right as the snake bit. Managing to hide from the other Murkoff soldier running by to try finding him.

Sneaking past the soldier slowly easing to the floor in pain as the venom ran through his blood. Even when seeing Blake he couldn't let out a word through his wheezing. A few coughs and it was over for him.

"please don't be too far." Blake prayed as he went on in more of a hurry. Stepping on rocks with care to avoid the darkness near the bases of them. Fearing more snakes hiding in the rock wedges he couldn't see into.

Feeling relief when he came to the more open end with trees covered in sunlight. Only stopping for a moment to catch his breath. Sneaking around trees and climbing over rotting logs. Seeing a familiar pattern growing on a rotten stump. Red mushrooms covered in white spots growing along its base.

"i don't have time to make powders. Could be useful." he mumbled to himself. Despite Val telling him touching the mushrooms wasn't the worst thing. He still handled it as little as possible while putting it in a pants pocket. Looking off in one direction toward the sounds of voices speaking.

Stealthily sneaking up to the source to peek between two closely standing trees. A group of Murkoff employees sitting around a campfire heating a metal container of coffee.

"is it ready yet? I am about to fall asleep here since we got up so early." one tiredly leaning back to a tree complained.

"yeah, just give it a minute more." another yawned. Blake seeing the trail he had to take behind the yawning man.

"how do I get past these guys?" Blake thought, looking down to the side as he crouched in hiding for a moment. Staring at a growth of bright white mushrooms. Recognizing them just as well as the spotted red ones. He looked over to where the coffee pot was in consideration.  
"how fast would these work in boiling hot liquid?" he thought. Grabbing a sharp stick nearby to stab a large chunk of poisonous mushroom. This was something he definitely didn't want to touch.

Standing with impaled mushrooms on a stick. Taking the best possible guess on how to throw it. Flicking the stick in a manor to have a mushroom cap fling off its end. Landing into the boiling coffee with minimal splash. Going unnoticed by the few Murkoff employees, one starting to take the pot away from the fire.

Blake stood by patiently as he watched one of the guards pour all the others a cup. Worrying if he had messed up on his mushroom knowledge as they seemed fine while drinking. The situation changing after a few minutes with each guard falling down with a serious stomach pain. Seeing them painfully vomit onto the floor. While all of them were doubled over in pain Blake made a move for the trail. Getting by without being noticed.

He ran up the clear dirt path, slowing down as he reached the top. Looking over the wall edges to see if any more guards were hanging around the top. Walking up the rest of the way as the area was clear. He stopped again once on flat ground, looking across the horizon. Seeing miles and miles of cracked earth, cacti, and dead bushes. Focusing on the one dark tall thing on the horizon.

"the tower." he mumbled, heading for it. Thinking on if he should wait to travel at nightfall. It was going to take a day to reach the tower. That meant suffering under the desert sun with no water nearby for miles. However he couldn't wait, time wasn't on his side in the matter.

"i won't fail this time." he wheezed through the pain of his aching body.

* * *

Wicker angrily twisted the wires tight on his bottom jaw with a tool. Now with his mask gone it was getting loose twice as fast. His temper having an even shorter fuse because of it. Everyone was trying their hardest to stay out of his way.

"has that team found a body yet?!" he growled through gritted teeth to the room in general. All the workers looking to one another. Each wondering who was going to give the bad news first. Everyone knew that who ever the messenger was going to be, they were going to be shot.  
"well?!" wicker growled, looking up to all the workers fearfully avoiding his gaze. His cold green eyes glaring over the crowd as he threw the tool angrily to the side. Having everyone startled from the heavy throw.

Everyone rushing away as wicker stood to his feet.

"nobody knows?" wicker asked, his eyes searching over every person in the room.  
"somebody must know, or else I'll be rather upset at such a mistake on tracking a small team of 8." wicker growled, pulling out a gun from a holster at his belt. Growing more agitated as people were leaving the room.

" STAFF MEETING! NOW!" he roared out to the room. Forcing everyone to gather back into the room whether they liked it or not. Everyone forming into a half ring by wicker. All watching as he unhappily paced in front of them all with a glare.

"i am going to ask again. Where's the team and the body?" he spoke with a tone holding back his anger. Snapping his jaw with a shift of it side to side. Shifting his jaw impatiently for an answer.  
"if someone doesn't answer me. There going to be taken away for treason against Murkoff." he threatened. Not a second later two soldiers shoved one scientist out in front of wicker in an attempt at saving their own skins.

"ah, mm, t-there-" the scientist barely got out.

"SPEAK!" wicker roared down at the scientist.

"no contact. They wont answer." the scientist finally blurted out. Wickers eyes filled with pure hatred. Bashing the scientists face with a fist without stopping there. Repeatedly punching the man down even when his body grew limp. Stopping after the mans face was no longer recognizable. Leaving A bloody twitching mess on the floor. He showed no concern for his actions after wiping his bloody fists on a cleaner part of the dead man's coat.

"clean this trash up. It all better be gone by the time I get back." he said, gesturing for a few soldiers in the room to follow him. The military group hesitantly following him while avoiding the bloody body.

* * *

Blake was wheeze and panting through the pain coarsening through his body. Nearly choking on a mouthful of spit at the sight of the black helicopter on the horizon. He looked around for some kind of shelter to hide under. Diving under a dead bush barely his size. Catching his breath as he watched it fly by over head.

"they must know about those men." Blake thought, returning to the open to head off. He refused to slow down for more than a second. Despite it being very ill toward his health he was determined to jog the entire way. Making it by the time dark would come in his mind. Going farther and farther into the empty desert toward the slowly growing tower. Seeing the large dish on its side a little more clearly.

"good thing it's not a tree. I would have been freaking pissed." Blake joked a little in thought. Being far too out of breath to wheeze the words out.  
"god I need some fucking water." he mouthed, feeling his skin start to burn followed by cottonmouth under the blistering sunlight. His accidental prayer seeming to be answered as a distant thunderstorm rang out across the land. Massive dark clouds heading over the mountains with flashes of lighting.

"shit." Blake mouthed, remembering the last desert storm he was in. gusts of wind already blowing over him with painful stinging sand hitting him.  
"fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck." he repeatedly mouthed quickly as the helicopter returned after not being gone more than 5 minutes.

Everything was about to go wrong within minutes.

The storm sweeping in with massive gusts blowing up huge walls of sand. The helicopter locking onto the only noticeable thing in the empty desert. Blake running blindly through the storm with flashes of lightning making it difficult to spot the dark tower on the now dark horizon. Thin rain slamming down in a huge wave to turn all the sand into thick mud.

The once boiling surroundings turning icy cold. Blake sinking down into the thick mud just like he did with the snow on the mountain. Turning when a bright light was shined on him. Seeing wicker running toward him followed by more soldiers. Having that long blood red gun pointed at him, along with no possibility of getting air in, forced him to surrender.

Wicker yanking him out of the mud with ease. Throwing punches at Blake as he forced him along. Using him as a punching bag for unreleased anger. Shoving Blake onto the back of the helicopter to be quickly surrounded by heavily armed guards.

Blake sat at the back all bloody from more open cuts. Wheezing to catch up all the air he hadn't been able to get for the past half hour. When they landed his body could barely stand up it was in so much pain. Thankfully his wheezing wasn't half as bad as earlier.

"get off!" wicker commanded down to Blake. After he was unable to stand, wicker threw him off to land harshly onto gravel. Yanking him up again to push him forward. Repeating the actions till Blake finally managed to walk along.

"you gave me quite the run around. Best fun I've had in awhile." wicker sarcastically spoke. a noticeable crackling noise being heard as he talked as they walked toward the massive black tower. The tower standing by a warehouse sized building covered in thick dark metal. Blake looking to the top of the metal tower, seeing part of it twisted down into a half melted mass. Resembling a candle if it were held against a blow torch.

"see that tower. That sends out a super signal of microwaves. You ever seen a spoon when its in a microwave? They act the same when its on. Waves and waves of lightning hit it all at once. Lights everything up for miles as if the sun was sitting at the top." wicker spoke, pointing to the massive tower.

"know why i am telling you this? Because I want to tie you at the top, and turn it on. Watch you fry like your in the electric chair. I'll find that to be even more fun!" wicker laughed as they walked by to the building. Adjusting his jaw once again.

"welcome to the lab. Last time you'll see it." wicker announced as they entered. A massive white place filled with computers, desks, rooms with windowed walls. A huge screen filling up the place with a map of the landscape. A huge feeling of sterilization with a heavy chemical smell similar to the inside of hospitals.

"What's that factory on the river?" Blake asked. The air he spoke stinging his freshly re-cut lip.

"that's just recordings, the viewing window at the zoo. Here's where all the main things are run. We'll set you up in a comfortable habitat for when i am ready to deal with you." wicker grumbled, jaw becoming annoyingly loose again for him.

"somebody get a fucking doctor out here for my jaw!" he roared as they reached the middle of the main area. His voice echoing through the large place.  
"get me a coffee along with an update on the freak too." he continued. Getting multiple yes sirs as people in lab coats scrambled around them.

"it's still holding on, but it won't be long. Got a few more bullets into it after It attacked some guards." a scientist announced from high on a large control panel looking area.

"val?!" Blake thought, heart sinking. Flinching as a guard set a seat down for Blake.

"what are you doing?! Don't give him a chair, he's not a fucking guest!" wicker scolded. Guards apologizing as they took the chair away. Another guard quickly setting a cup of coffee by wicker. The liquid being not too far from Blake.

Blake swallowed at the sight of the liquid, remembering how thirsty he was. Thinking back to how Val could be doing. From what the scientist said from above, she had gotten into more danger.

"how bad is her condition now?" he worried, gripping the side of his pants anxiously. Feeling something solid in one pocket. Remembering what it was he slowly glanced toward wickers drink. Looking around carefully at the large amount of Murkoff employees swarming the room. He slowly took the red mushroom cap from his pocket into his hand. Keeping it hidden behind his back till he was sure everyone looked away.

Doing a quick small toss toward the cup. Watching the mushroom land into the cup with a hike of blood pressure as it leaned over from the hit. Just barely making it as to not fall over, settling back into place with minor spillage. Blake watching from the corner of his eye as wicker grabbed the cup to take a drink. Closing his eyes with a slow blink as wicker suddenly looked to the cup in disgust.

"fucking animals can't even set a drink down without spilling it." wicker grumbled, flicking some spilled coffee off his fingers holding the cup. Blake opening his eyes again in time to see him drink a few mouthfuls. Swallowing at the possibility of wicker discovering the mushroom. He couldn't let that happen. Lunging forward to slam a fist right into the side of wickers face. Knocking the coffee partially across the room before flinching as wicker turned on him.

"do you have a death wish you fucking animal!" wicker roared, yanking Blake off his feet by grabbing his collar.  
"set him in empty cell A-46 & put the freak next door so he can watch it die. Since they seem so damn close." wicker shouted to some officers. Pushing blake down multiple hallways till they slowed at a prison cell block of sorts.

"You idiots shouldn't have tried for the town." wicker mocked as he grabbed Blake, tossing him in a small square room. The walls being a thick see through glass that allowed Blake to still see out.

Avoiding one half of his containment at the sight of a mangled person next door. Arms twisted and set with metal bars attached to wires. Burns covering over half their bodies. Uncontrollable drool pouring from their mouths. A tank with tubes attached to their chest with their legs covered in barbs that were purposefully installed. A hint as to why the wires and metal on the arms, showing in self mutilated claw marks surrounding the equipment.

Gazing out to further cells showing similar mutilated people. One having large metal blades stapled into the ends of their fingers. Metal weights on their legs. Another having a muzzle with bite marks along with missing chunks over their bodies. Another room being a mess of blood with two mutilated patients growling and wheezing as they fought over a torn body for food.

Blake began to nervously pace. Wondering what was happening with Val. Weather he would see her at all or if she'd be alive when he did. He was internally kicking himself for leaving. Fighting to convince himself he did the right thing at the time.

"why did I do that? But I had too. I couldn't stay with her, but I did drag her away into unknown land. She isn't safe to be around, she almost killed me. She tried so hard to keep me alive after though, after I got sick and injured from the wolves.

If I can, should I break out without her? Should I risk my life for someone who purposely harmed it before? It's not like she'll be missed by anyone." he thought. Kicking himself in thought after thinking such a terrible thing.

"they said I was sent back to help. They wouldn't be angry as long as I was happy. … am I happy? … would I regret leaving Val again? … no more regrets ..." he thought over his situation.

He stopped at hearing wicker yelling again. Seeing a group of men walking down the same path they took him. The empty cage on the other half of his containment room, opening its doors. The first noticeable thing Blake saw first was red, a lot of red. Some of it on fabric, the rest pouring down the path way.

Val walking slowly at the front with soldiers on both sides. Arm in a makeshift sling of thick string. Blood covering her arm to almost pour off along the limb. Pieces of her upper arm missing from a past rain of bullets. She already looked terribly pale from blood getting dangerously low.

The soldiers corralled her into the room, shutting the door behind her. A large trail of red blood standing out from the pure white floors. Already there was a small puddle collecting at her feet. She obviously had no chance to look at the wounds or to apply anything. Blake grew worried as he saw the soldiers just leave.

"they're not even going to look at her?!" he thought.  
"wait, aren't you going to fix her?! Hey, come back! at least give me bandages and let me look at her!" Blake yelled from his prison room. Despite his words being muffled by the thick glass he was loud enough to annoy wicker at the halls end.

"shut up! Or I'll give one of you a roommate!" wicker snapped, pointing to the bloody cell with the two experiments now attempting to mangle each other.

"val, are you okay?!" he asked, looking toward her. She didn't give an answer. Leaning her forehead against the back wall while holding her badly injured side. Blood seeping over her hand to paint it all a dark red. She only managed to stare at the wall she leaned against. Slowly blinking with a heavy look of exhaustion weighing on her.

"i have to get out! I have to get out right now!" Blake said to himself. Rushing around the doorway to look over it for something, anything to get him out of his area. He started slamming himself against the door in the hopes it would bust open. The door hadn't budged an inch, the slamming he did against it only riling up the other patients into screeching or turning aggressive against the others they could see in neighboring tanks.

"cut that shit out!" a soldier shouted from down the hall.

"fuck you!" Blake shouted, slamming against the door. The idea of getting the soldier to open the door jumping to mind. Startled by the neighboring patient slamming against Blakes glass wall. The sound of sliding metal body parts against metal wire making a painful sound to listen to.

He banged against the glass to make the next door patient even more aggressive against him. The thing slamming against the glass hard enough to scrape it. A soldier hurrying down the line to stop both from messing with the glass.

"hey, knock it off!" the soldier yelled at Blakes door. Blake only ignoring him to continue slamming against the patients glass. Gaining the exact reaction he wanted with the soldier opening his door. As soon as it was open Blake tackled the guy full force to the ground. Fighting and kicking the guy along the floor to gain control of the situation. Yanking away a key card from the man's belt before bolting down the hall to the small control panel there. Looking over the panel with panicked wheezing before slamming the card into a slot. Typing open with the keys as fast as he could before the soldier could reach him. The pad asking for a door number. In his panic he wrote ALL. Lights going red as an alarm blared out. A loud clacking noise as every door in the facility unlocked at once.

The experiments swarming out into the halls at the realization of being free. The soldier who originally ran to stop Blake was now fleeing passed him to escape the area of death. Blake carefully made his way down the line. Trying not to run as it may excite the experiments into chasing. Carefully making his way into Vals containment where he saw her now taking a knee with eyes close.

"val, come on." he pleaded as he tried to help her up. Feeling her skin incredibly cold as he held her. Finding her to be dead on her feet from all the blood loss. He quickly removed his hand bandages to wrap it across her side as tightly as he could before picking her up. Blood getting all over him as he helped. Going out to see soldiers running around in a blood bath as patients picked them off or fought each other for the fresh meat.

Loud blasts picking all the patients off one by one. Seeing the sight of wicker approaching with a hatred fueled glare holding the red sniper rifle. Locking eyes with Blake he began freeing a path to him using multiple bullets.

Blake swallowed at the sight, quickly running off with Val in his arms. Just avoiding a blast when he rounded a corner. Coming across halls smeared with so much blood even the lights above were covered. Giving a dark red glow the entire way through the halls. The containment rooms were growing into a maze. A feeling of being more and more trapped the further he rounded corners.

"i need to find a medical room." Blake thought, Val being fully unconscious in his arms. He ran down a hall to peek through some double doors. Finding a empty kitchen with a little hope.

"there has to be a med kit somewhere." he thought, rushing inside to the cooking area. Carefully setting Val on a counter to rummage through every cabinet he could find till he found the small kit. Opening it to grab every single bandage along with bundles of stitching wire.

He looked back toward the kitchen entrances, begging to who ever above that no one comes in. splashing half a bottle of alcohol down Vals wounds. Breathing deeply to calm himself as he stitched the massive holes shut. None of them as far as he could tell were direct bullet hits on her arm. All of them were grazes with no bullets lodged. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. The bullets may have helped plugged the holes a bit or kept the holes much smaller than a long rounded chunk missing. After stitching everything he wiped as much liquid away as he could to duct tape down the thick gauze across her side. Panicking as he heard the kitchen door opening.

"i fucking see you!" wicker roared as Blake escaped with Val out the kitchen back door. Fleeing down more intricate containment cells, only these were all still closed. This area was different with its containment. Using actual barred prison cells over the thick glass. The back and side walls being concrete that provided some protection of being seen from a different aisle.

"you can't keep running reporter!" wicker shouted as he entered with a group of soldiers. Spotting Blake running when he turned a corner he blasted off another shot. Missing Blake again behind the corner.  
"give up now and I mite be merciful!" wicker shouted, his jaw snapping in and out of place. Blinking a few times as his vision blurred. Unable to see his pupils growing into a overly large size.

"watch out!" a soldier shouted as a bloody patient charged them. Being soon shot down by the group. Wicker remaining in place, staring ahead as his body slightly swayed. The color in his vision twisting to change or disappear entirely.

"sir?" one officer spoke to wicker. The high officer looked suddenly in his direction. Face contorting into anger before he shot the man through the chest. Watching him die from blood loss.

"fucking freaks." wicker slurred. Shakily turning on his feet with confusion at the changing world. Trees appearing with puddles of water and many eyes staring back at him. The other soldiers not knowing what was going on with him tried to communicate among themselves.

"should we get a doctor?" one whispered to the other.

"shut up you damn reporter!" wicker turned with gun aimed. Blasting a huge hole in a kitchen door after missing the talking soldier. The men scrambled, ditching wicker to be on his own.

Blake was sneaking quickly through the walkways. Paranoid of each corner he rounded possibly having a soldier or wicker standing there. Flinching at the sound of gunshots going off every minute. Unaware he got a little too close to a cage. A clawed arm reaching out to almost grab Blakes face.

"careful, or else you'll end up with a pretty face like mine." wicker mocked with a grin at hearing a startled Blake with a rattling cage door. Other patents growing excited, letting out screams or slamming against the bars as a medical officer arrived. Covering Blakes loud footsteps in a way from all the distractions.

"sir, I think your sick." the medical officer carefully approached behind wicker.

"i am fine!" wicker slurred. Drooling a large amount from his loose jaw. Turning unsteadily to face the doctor with the loaded gun.

"your eyes are really dilated sir. We need to get you checked." the doctor spoke gently. Freezing with arms raised as the gun was pointed.

After going around many more corners Blake almost committed a horrible mistake when he peeked around a corner. Wicker noticing the movement from the corner of his eye. Flipping around with gun aimed. Blake flinching back from a loud click out of wickers rifle aiming for his head.

"dammit!" wicker exclaimed at discovering the gun was empty. He grabbed the collar of the doctor to yank them close.  
"give me your bullets!" he yelled with a snap of his jaw. Spitting out as he spoke with more drool pouring from his jaws.

"i don't have the bullets for your gun!" the doctor blurted out nervously.

"just give me the biggest ones you have! They'll fit!" he yelled. The doctor handing over a whole box of ammo. Wicker quickly filled the gun as he chased off after Blake.

Blake ran till he saw a pair of double doors at the end of a long hall. Having no other way to go he rushed forward. Skidding to a halt in a panic at the dead end he had met. He was in some large conference hall with many chairs and a tall stage. He stood still in the middle of the room. Looking desperately for any exits besides the door behind him leading to a shooting frenzied wicker.

He saw a sliding door at the bottom of the stage. Hoping it was a way out he rushed over to open it. Heart sinking as it turned out to be a mini storage area for equipment. A couple speakers on one side and a broom with dustpan on the other. The space being incredibly small, getting caught hiding in side was a death sentence.

"maybe I can at least save you." He looked down to the unconscious Val in his arms. Carefully placing her inside with all the medical supplies he snatched in the kitchen.  
"If she manages to go unnoticed and wakes alone, she'll have medical supplies." he thought, closing the small door. Dread setting in with no where for him to go. He was going to have to face wicker alone.

Catching up to him at the dead end of the assembly hall wicker aimed his gun on Blake. Drooling heavily from the broken half of his jaw while approaching.

"get down!" wicker spat. seeing Blake stand half covered in blood in the middle of the room. Blake remained standing, feeling no way out and rather die standing.

"i said get down!" wicker roared as he approached. Blake continuing to stand tall at his place. Gaining a face full of rifle as wicker bashed the end of it across him. Knocking Blake down to the floor with more blood dripping out of his mouth.

"i always hated reporters. Too fucking nosy for their own good." wicker gurgled, spitting out a mouthful of foamy drool to his side.  
"i am not letting this situation turn into Mount massive. Sad I wont see you fry." wicker growled, pointing the blood red rifle down at blake. A pull of the trigger let out an explosive bang leaving the other in writhing pain covered in blood. A hysterical laughter following the bloody mess.


	18. Institutionalized

"what did you do?!" wicker laughed through the blood pouring from his mouth. Chunks of metal having been blown back into his face.

The blood red gun was specially made to shoot any bullets, unless broken. Only able to shoot its own special bullets when in a poor state. The crack barrel, having no ability to fire a different bullet, had burst into an explosion of metal. Wicker getting the brunt end where most the metal was held. Getting chunks of the heated pieces stabbed into his body.

Shooting back into an eye, the chest, neck, along with taking one entire arm, half a leg, and half of the opposite hand. He was crumpled to the floor in a puddle of his own blood. Shifting around in shock as he tried getting up. The mushroom causing too much confusion for his brain to recognize its state. Adrenaline followed by shock preventing pain. The mushroom also causing hysteria with him letting out uncontrolled laughter.

"what did you do?!" he laughed again as he rolled his horribly injured body on the floor. Pushing with his one arm to finally look at Blake. He gurgled till a waterfall of blood mixed drool poured from his mouth. Grinning widely at Blake with blood colored teeth and almost entirely black eyes.

He tried repeatedly to stand, slipping around in his own blood. Spitting out more of the liquid between his laughter. Blake watched in shock at the demonic looking man. Slowly standing up with a shivering body from what just happened. Slowly brushing off the small metal bits embedded in his arms.

He watched wickers expression slowly change from happy laughing smiles to angry glares. His quick breaths slowing to more bloody gurgles or long trails of drool. Attempting to furiously rise to his crippled feet. Thrashing around in anger with blood pouring from his body. Shaking it everywhere like a dog.

He finally dropped with an intense stare still aimed at Blake. Wheezing out more blood as his breaths slowed to a stop. His dead eyes still holding there stare in the end. Soldiers running in to the area skidding to a halt.

"fuck." a few soldiers spoke, looking at the mess. Half looking over wickers body while the others grabbed Blake before he could move. They dragged him away from the mess to a new cell.

"what about Val?" he thought. They didint seem to notice where he hid her. He didint want to tell them where she was either.  
"but is that best?" he thought. His stitching job being really shoddy in the small time he had.  
"they didint care about helping her before, why would it change now?" he thought, staying quiet.

He was put back into another glass containment cell. Spotting a few familiar patients in different cells across from him. This time he didint have any neighbors to rile up for an escape. He saw nothing else to do but sit down. Hoping Val would wake up alone okay.

"Last time she lost this much blood it took 2 days before she woke." he thought.

Hours passed with Blake watching soldiers or researchers running back and forth to catalog things. Cleaning up messes along with transporting bodies down the halls. Watching all of this had Blake calm down enough to begin feeling pain again from adrenaline loss. His body sore beyond belief with almost everything feeling broken. Simply breathing was extremely painful, yet not enough to suppress a need for sleep.

He slowly closed his eyes. Going out into a deep slumber in an instant. Opening them again who knows after how long. Seeing the Murkoff workers scrambling in some sort of panic. He looked around for any kind of clue as to what was happening.

"no red lights or alarms." Blake thought, seeing the still normal bright white light in the ceiling. He tried stretching, feeling immediate regret with a sharp pain shooting through his body. Settling back into the sleeping spot he was in with a hiss of pain. The buzzing around slowly going away with groups of staff running toward the main room.

Waylon closed his eyes at the sudden silence. 10 minutes passing before he heard the main door opening again. Blake slowly opening his eyes to the sound of many footsteps. One set of footsteps heavily clacking against the tiled flooring. Seeing a pair of black mid heeled women shoes partially covered by black slimming pants.

"well Blake Langermann, guess you and your wife discovered this place after all. Ill get out the kinks in leaving footprints behind later. First I have to deal with you." a menacing women wearing head to toe black clothing spoke down to him. Wearing a black suit top with dark red, almost black, business shirt. Black hair having a sharp straight cut just above her shoulders, framing her pale face with silver white eyes. Blake catching a hint of Russian accent in her voice.

"i assume you wont tell me well that hermaphrodite is, will you?" she spoke in monotone down to Blake. Receiving only a wordless glare from Blake remaining in his laying spot. The women sighed with an eye roll at the expected answer.

"take him out. Were bringing him to the engine room. Ill have him shipped off later to another facility." she commanded the guards following her around. It seemed every staff member available was following her.

Guards opened the door, hoisting Blake to his feet. Being required to hold him up if they wanted him to stay up. Locking his arms back with a heavy duty zip lock tie. Dragging him along with the group as they went around the facility. Arriving at two metal doors with a metal sign above saying "morgue". Everybody going in as the leading lady went to a blood dripping table with a covered body. A morgue physician moving the cloth back to allow her to see wickers mangled body.

"ugh." the lady twisted her face in disgust turning to anger.  
"removed all this metal for scrap. Then throw his body to any patients who seem hungry." she told the physician.

"yes mam." the doctor nodded, putting the cloth covering back. The group heading out down more halls leading to a heavily locked door. Blake shifting his body weight from one pained side to the other as they waited for her to swipe a card key.

"mine only past this door." she told the mass group following her. Only the bodyguards and those holding Blake allowed to follow her into the small sterilization hall. Leaving after a spray of green air over them. Going down dark halls with only a few ceiling lights to mark the thin pathway. Heavy metal vault doors lining each wall.

They stopped at one door midway down the hall. Waiting until a man appeared from the other side of the hall. Typing in some code to open the door for them. The women standing off to the side for Blake to be shoved in by an officer. Quickly being sat down in the lone chair in the small 5 by 5 foot chamber. Being yanked around with the ziptie to be removed and replaced by real restrains attached to the chair. One locking tightly around his throat to force his head to stay up.

"shove some vitamins in him. It'll keep his body more stable after all of wickers beatings." she told the man who held the door code. He went away for a minute to return with a feeding tube and a cup of strange thick greenish grey slop. At the sight of it Blake tried flinching away with his jaw locking shut. Being forced to open up by multiple guards yanking his mouth open.

A tube was shoved down with little hesitation for the thick slop to be poured. The junk settling in his stomach like wet concrete mix. Hacking with a huge need to vomit as the tube was yanked out. His stomach unable to refuse the settling mixture.

"congratulations Blake. Your becoming part of something greater. I hope you enjoy your time." the women mocked as the door slowly closed shut. A loud clunk sounding off as it locked in place. Blake flinching with his stomach twisting into a heavy knot. Another sound echoing in his small room with the one light shutting off to darkness. A bright screen with morphing black imagery shining brightly into Blakes face. He squinted while trying to turn away. The flashing imagery across his eyes causing a growing burning sensation of pain at the back of his skull.

The pain slowly growing more and more unbearable the longer he was forced to stay in the room. Even closing his eyes proved useless against the flashing imagery.

Time or any focus away from pain was slipping away from him. The pain stopping momentarily when his stomach grew empty. Hazard suit covered men coming in to shove more vitamins down his throat. The flashes returning as soon as they left him.

Inside that room Blake had no way of telling time. Suffering with those flashes till more vitamins were pumped. Over and over this pattern repeated. The world eventually going black with momentary sight coming in and out of focus. Glimpses of those men in suits, bright lights, something highly reflective and sharp. A pain coming from his chest that suddenly went away after a moment.

Darkness surrounded his mind when the pain went. Hearing mumbles far off in the darkness. A shock of cold water opening his eyes with a gasp. His vision heavily blurred with those distorted images shifting as if burned into his brain. Past it all he saw a blurred figure looking down over his face. He saw hands on either side of his face to hold it straight. Confused as to why he couldn't feel the hands.

Trying to instead focus on the blurred figure who was saying something. Still unable to clearly hear the words past some mumbling. He blinked a few times with his eyes focusing. Squinting at the bright white light high above.

"blake … Blake. You have to get up. We cant be in here." Val spoke to him urgently. Patting his face in order to have him focus.

"where?" Blake managed to groan out. Throat feeling rough and sore with a feeling of sandpaper. Stretching an arm up stiffly with attempting to move up. Finding everything hard to control with a numb feeling slowly washing away.

"doctors place. Move, quickly, I don't know if anybody else is coming." Val spoke fast as she slowly helped him to sit up. Blakes vision clearing up enough for him to fully see his whereabouts.

A morgue like lab, two hazmat suit men with slit throats near a bloody scalpel on the floor. He was sitting on a metal table with upper clothing removed. A bleeding long cut from his collar bone to the middle of his chest showing. Being strangely diagonal like the start of a Y cut.

"come on!" Val rushed him, getting him off the metal table. Having Blake almost collapse on his stiff pained legs. Feeling an increasing need to vomit, but the tough layer that settled at the bottom refused to budge. Val paused momentarily at Blake lurching with a few gags. When nothing came up she helped him forward. Bringing him past two double steal doors into a small break room.

"ahh!" Blake hissed at the bright flickering florescent light hanging above. Shutting his eyes tightly as the burning flashes returned. He froze up to cover his eyes being way beyond sick to his stomach. Val helped guide him along to a vent in the wall just a smidgen above the floor.

"fuck, this feels like a concentration of whatever in Templegate." Blake thought with difficulty. Verging on passing out when both settled inside the vent.

"whats wrong?" Val asked, slowly removing the hand from his eyes. Blake slowly opening them, seeing the flashes still he closed them with a groan.

"i cant see." he answered.

"why? Let me see." she asked, trying to get Blake to open them.

"no, don't! There not cut or anything." he flinched away, covering his eyes with his hand again.  
"its that engine. What the tower puts out. … I heard it on the news … what it does." he explained. Thinking back to those reports on Waylon along with the experiments on him. How they forced him to see the engine for weeks, cutting him open like a dead body. Blake thinking to the cut on his chest.

"looks like I got pretty far in experimentation." he thought bitterly.  
" … but the cuts didint come till a week later ..." Blake thought with a nervous swallow.

"... Val … what happened?" Blake asked. her being next to him showed a large passing of time based on wound heal age.

"i remember sirens and red everywhere before I blacked out. Found out I woke a day later from that lady talking around the place. Shes not hard to miss with a crowd following her everywhere. She talked about you being in a cell. I snuck around till I found these vents. Found where they kept you, but had no way of reaching you till now. In the mean time I was Getting food, medical, even managed to get our stuff back. Found that dead bastard all cut up in a bin. What happened to him?" she finished with a question.

"he … tried to shoot me. … that red gun exploded in his hands. … I think he put the bullets in wrong or something. He shot many times before he finally ran out. He had to have reloaded before trying to shoot me again." Blake thought, a little slowly at first past a headache.  
"so … its been a day?" Blake asked, finding it too good to be true.

" … four days." Val corrected.

"fuck … I knew it." Blake mumbled, knowing it was impossible for it to be just a day.

"how are you feeling?" she asked.

"headache, soreness, scratchy throat, a painful burning in my skull. They forced me to chug something that's settled like a rock in my stomach.

"can you eat?" she asked.

"ugh, i am afraid too. My bodies been trying to vomit since they shoved the first tube of that junk down. It wont come up." he said, slowly removing his hand from his blinking eyes. The flashes being gone with no ability to return in the dark vent.

"how well can you see?" she continued asking.

"okay right now. It gets really bad in bright light. Like my skulls going to split in two." he squinted more from his headache.

"can you eat some of these?" she asked, holding out some lettuce shoots for him. Blake looking at them with another knot twisting in his stomach.

"maybe. Either that or ill vomit, but then my stomach mite feel 100 pounds lighter." he said, taking them to quickly chew down in one mouthful. His stomach spasming painfully at the new food introduced. He doubled over in pain wanting so badly to vomit. Somehow making it through without a gag. He took many deep breaths to slowly unknot his stomach. Sitting up again when he wasint in so much pain.

"once we get out I can give you a few things to help you vomit that poison out." she suggested, Blake nodding at the idea. He wanted what ever they shoved into him out. She handed him his shirt and belt bag. The bags containing various powders he made, knoths ruined journal, and the bag of wolf jerky still almost full.

" … why did you come for me? You could have left." he asked.

"you came back for me. I may as well return the favor." she shrugged sightly.

" of course ..." he thought, the words unintentionally coming out in a barely audible mumble. His tone filled with pessimism on how Val only returned to repay a favor.

"why did you come? You could have left." she asked him back. irritation in her tone caused from his own tone.

"a mass hallucination of bodies and angels suggested I do." he thought, stopping a chuckle from coming out at the thought.  
"i guess deep down I thought I should. I did drag you all the way out here" he said quietly.

"... yeah ..." she spoke in monotone.

"do you know any ways out of here?" he asked.

"i think so. I feel fresh air and see sunlight down one of the vents." she answered.

"can we reach it today?" he asked, he wanted out of this place as soon as possible.

"you want to leave? Now? You can barely walk, or even see for long. As soon as we go out into proper sunlight what do you think will happen with your vision?" she asked.

"i know one person who went through the same thing. It took him like a month to recover. We definitely cant stay here that long. We have to get water, more food, soon they'll see the two dead doctors. We wont be able to scavenge from the vents after that. We have to find someplace to hide outside." he stressed.

" … okay, but when we reach the end of the vent you say inside. Ill leave to find a hiding place first. Its no good if we come stumbling out with you unable to defend yourself." she told him. After getting a nod she gestured for him to follow. Leading him down various vent shafts to a more rusted one with roots growing through it. He felt the gusts of wind coming from it. Eyes squinting at the light reflecting across the metal down the shaft.

"how are you doing?" she asked, seeing his reaction to the light.

"nothing too bad." he answered. No flashes with only a stinging from the light hitting his eyes. He was sure though that it was only because he had been locked in the dark for four days.

Reaching the end having his anxiety of the outcome shrink. Looking outside to the light hadint activated the engine effects.

"no spike of pain, thank god for that." he mumbled, as he looked up at the blue sky.

"still, wait here." Val spoke, slowly coming out of the broken down vent.

"is this vent even used anymore?" Blake wondered while sitting there. Looking over all the old rust. Roots breaking the vent sections apart.  
"hope Val gets back soon." he thought, smacking his dry mouth. Throat still sore with texture like sandpaper. He would love to get a handful of snow again. Just to swallow mouthfuls of the soothing bits of icy frost. Remembering things like ice cream or Popsicle.

"how long has it been since I had one of those?" he thought.  
"maybe a vanilla drumstick while lynn and I were going on the road for a bit. Following around a rock band bus on tour." he remembered. They got about 3 city's before heading back to their home town.

"add it to my mega food list that ill eat till I vomit when I get back." he thought. mouth trying to drool, but unable. Looking up the vent from a noise of foot steps.

"i found a burrow in the desert. It isint very far from here, But its a spot to hide in till nightfall. Then we can travel back to the river." Val informed him from the top of the vent. Helping Blake slowly out of it. Giving a moment to allow him to adjust to the bright sunshine. They sneaked low to the ground away from the building. Nervously going around dead bushes barely bigger then them. The dry desert land being so unsafely open.

The two sneaking down into a small dirt area dug away by something. The two barely filling into the shaded space. Sitting side by side facing each other with no room for space in between. Backs resting against the walls with legs practically resting on the other.

"can we get water from some cacti?" Blake asked, growing annoyed at the sandpaper feeling in his throat.

"not all cacti have water, some that do are toxic. We'd have to find a specific cacti for that." she spoke while looking into her bag. Pulling out one of those mini water bottles that was half full.  
"you can have the rest of this. Ill be fine till the river tomorrow." she spoke, handing it to him. Blake being unable to help it, chugged the entire thing down. The dry sandpaper sensation mostly going away.

"how'd you get supplies in there for 4 days?" he asked.

"i noticed a man with keys unlocking fridges and big metal boxes with windows showing food in them. I managed to sneak the key off him and stole a handful of things. Bottles of water and plastic bags with thin dry cut potatoes. I didint like them that much, they were super salty. They could have used less salt on the drying process." Val explained. Blake almost laughed at the food description.

"those are potato chips. They're fried, not dried in the sun with salt. The salts added for flavor, because otherwise they'd be really plain." he explained with a smile of amusement.

"who likes that much salt. There's no need for that much." she waved with a disgusted face.

"that's how most fried stuff is, super salty. Although some brands, err, sellers don't add salt. Some add simple flavors like just a little pepper. Do you have any more of them?" Blake asked.

"take them." Val spoke, seeming happy to get rid of two mini bags of salted chips. Blake looking like he hit the jackpot with an excited expression at the junk food handed over.  
"there are also these. I havint tried them, don't know what they are." she mentioned, holding a bag of extreme cheese flavored chips.

"oh, those. They're the same, but with a much stronger flavor of cheese. I reaaaally don't think you'd like those." Blake told her.

"cheese?" she asked him with a look of confused disbelief.

"yeah, its … powdered cheese flavor. They pour it onto the chips." he explained a little further. Val looked interested down to the bag, popping it open to try one. Gaining a look of instant regret at the taste from a chip. Blake trying so hard, but was unable to contain his laughter at the expression of Vals inner soul dying from powdered cheese flavor. She handed the bag right over to him while spitting out the small chip corner to the side.

"shut up." she mumbled, half jokingly. While Blakes laughter slowly died down for him to eat the nacho cheese chips.  
"cant believe you can eat that. Hope your town food isint all overly salted." she stated.

"no, its just junk food like this. Your really not suppose to eat a lot of this anyway. Its like candy, you only eat it in small handfuls on rare occasions." he explained while eating the chips happily.

Jumping at the sound of an alarm blaring off from the lab. He swallowed his mouth full of chips before slowly looking out of the dirt burrow toward the building. Seeing swarms of guards running out in searching.

"must have seen the doctors." Blake said, hiding back down into the burrow.

"sooner we get to the woods the better. This land is far too open for us to hide." she sighed. Both hearing the men stomp around on the ground above.  
"after you eat you should sleep. Ill keep watch till its time to go." Val said to him.

"not sure if I can. I don't even know if I slept in that cell. Everything just blanked out in there." he swallowed the crumbs from his chip bag. Quietly crumpling it up to throw aside.

* * *

"whats the point of this facility having cameras if only the outside ones are watched?!" Zandra rubbed the bridge of her nose. Standing in front of a control panel settled in front of a large wall of various camera screens. Guards surrounding behind her in an intimidating wall of protection.  
"wicker ruined the structure here on his eager chase of the survivors. No one trusts the highers here after he slaughtered so many staff. I can barely communicate with anyone. All of them stupidly stutter at the smallest question. I need fresh blood here, but with the reporter gone I feel this pace is falling too." Zandra growled to herself.  
"time to cut losses here." she said, pressing an income button on a control panel.

"in the next half hour. I want ALL data put onto one machine for transport to another facility. No other copies shall be allowed. after all material is backed up to the single system everything must be liquidated. This facility will be merged with another far off.

After liquidation all staff shall help pack materials to begin the move. within the next two days I want this facility gutted out with no trace behind." she ordered in a commanding tone. Ending the mass building announcement.

"all of you, I want a few teams assembled. One of trackers, netters, and one who knows the geography well around here. Also, call back the search, I doubt they'll find anything while running like chickens with their heads cut off. They're either still in the vents, in which case the desert sun will roast them out, or they're running outside somewhere. We'll hunt them with more proper equipment for the assembled teams later." she said to a few lesser guards. The small group nodding as they left her sight.

"are we starting fresh? Or going to an already settled facility." the head scientist asked.

"settled one. We cant afford to make any new ones." she answered.

"were getting really small. What about a small town? Like that one in Maine?" he suggested.

"tested the area. Lots of problems. Everyone getting easily distracted. Then there's this supposed clown that appears everywhere. havint found this clown, but everybodys scared of him for some reason. I swear there must be something horrible in the water that makes people high as a kite." she grumbled.  
"probably best we stay small for now and grow as need be when we get back onto our feet." she said, going over the outside camera screens for any movement.

* * *

The sunrise filled the sky with blazing colors of orange to golden yellow. Bringing a glow over the forest just like before. With dark clouds outlined with brilliant color. The once hot air now refreshingly cool enough to form small amounts of dew.

Blake had been drifting back and forth through sleep in the night. Slightly regretting that he ate those dry chips while no where near water. He was happy to see the river within reach. While Blake sloshed his head in the water to moisturize his dry skin, Val only took a quick drink.

"ill go get you that vomiting medicine. Drink as much water as you can, it'll help push up whatever you have." she said, going down along the river in search. Blake doing as he was told, chugging water down till his stomach grew painfully full.

Val returned with some tube like plant piece. Bringing it over to a rock with her knife to carefully cut a small square out of it. Being only the quarter of the size of a dime.

"just swallow, don't chew." she told him while handing it over.

"how long till it works?" Blake asked.

"its pretty instant. After you swallow your stomach should start feeling a little sour." she said. Watching Blake stare at the small piece for a moment. Quickly swallowing it down like a pill followed by a hand full of water.

Just like she said, his stomach began feeling off. Similar to bad food poisoning kicking in 5 minutes after the first bite in a restaurant. His mouth filling up with watery drool as it got ready for his stomach to reject the contents of it. Time was ticking by with Val growing concerned that nothing had come up yet.

"don't try and fight it." she stated.

"iam not, its not moving." Blake groaned. His body doing a lot of drying heaving with him only spitting out building drool. Deep down his stomach was growing painful. Feeling the sludge ripping free from the sides. Blake hoped it wasint doing it literally and simply felt that way.

A few more dry heaves came, followed shortly by a massive wave of thick grey. The pile forming looking exactly like cement mix. The stomach contents missing the mass amounts of water Blake chugged. He could only guess the junk absorbed it all like a toxic sponge. After getting past the vomiting his stomach felt overly hollow. Growling for food without any hesitation as it felt lighter then air again.

"any more?" Val asked, ready to cut him another small piece of medicine.

"no, I am sure that's all of it." Blake answered confidently. Spitting out the disgusting flavor settling in his mouth. Washing out with handfuls of water before chugging mouthfuls down again. Hearing that, Val tossed the pipe plant far off into the river.  
"now i am absolutely starving again." he chuckled, thinking of what he just went through.

"i am sure we'll find some fish for you." Val chuckled back. Standing up to collect items for a fish trap.


	19. Backtracked

Awkward silence was in the air with the two sitting on either side of the cooking fire. Val watching the cooking fish on the fire. While Blake was switching between her and the fish. Being careful not to be noticed on his reading of her expression. Attempting to figure out how she was feeling about the situation. After all, they were back in the woods, on track to the town. That should mean separation again. Even more so after Vals confession the time before the helicopter. He leaned back to stare up at the sky in thought.

"i don't want Val to leave." he thought, having to face the truth under all his denial.  
"but how would bringing her to town work? Where should I start on catching her up on society? Laws & rights or basic social standards?" he thought.

"does she even want to go?" his mind jumped question to question as he looked forward again. Finding Val staring at him from across the fire.  
"what?" he asked mildly annoyed.

"your nose is crooked again." she stated. Getting a sigh out of Blake as he knew what needed to be done.

"after all the punches why wouldn't it be." he mumbled. He made the mistake of assuming his horrible nose blockage was caused by dust allergy's. He sat still as Val came close to hold his face. Examining it as she positioned her hands. Pressing harshly till a crack was heard. followed by massive pain with a little blood drip. Blake hissing out with hands holding his painful face.

"no snow down here for this." he complained in general. Having no way to dull the pain or bring down swelling. Happy to slightly breath through it at least.

"you really need to care for yourself." Val teased, while walking over to check the fish.

"no, I am just going to throw myself down a hill till everything's broken." he spoke sarcastically, moving his hands away from his sore face.

"want me to give you a push?" she joked, taking the cooked fish from the fire. Handing a couple skewered ones to Blake.

He flinched a little at the sight of staring eyes on the fish. No matter what he seemed to never get used to that. Thinking for a moment on if he should eat the heads quickly first or start on the main meat. He took a deep breath knowing hed have to eat the heads no matter what. He did what he did before by quickly chewing both heads down in one mouthful. After feeling the eyes pop he swallowed the gross food down roughly. Letting out a shutter of disgust at the thought of what he ate. Val watching in amusement, just as he did when she tried cheesy chips.

"you know our escape has bought some time on the journey. The large waterfalls not far. You can even see the mist, it creates, from here." she said, gesturing to swirling fog just barely able to be seen in the sunny sky.

"that's … great." he spoke a little hesitantly, slowly eating away his fish.  
"i have to ask her. Only a few days left." he thought nervously. Wanting her to come to town with him.  
"maybe I don't have to ask. Maybe ill just wait and see. Maybe she'll just follow without me saying a word and it can just happen." he thought to himself in one quick blurb. Feeling his chest tighten every time he prepared himself to ask. convincing himself he really didint need to.

The rest of the meal was filled in with the return of awkward silence. Following them all the way to the waterfall.

"say it, just say it. Its a simple question. Its like … 5-ish words." he thought in his head.  
"5 words, that's it. Then its like 1 answer and its done." he thought to himself. Trying to gather up the courage again to attempt the question. whether or not Val would come to the town with him. Quite a few times have passed with him opening his mouth to ask the question, only to shut down. Chest tightening from nervousness. Butterfly stirring up in his stomach making him feel a little sick.

"geeze, feel like i am back to asking for a date to prom." he thought.  
"... just ..." he thought, opening his mouth to try and speak out the words. Holding the expression as he watched Val walking a short distance in front. Shutting his mouth with a nervous breath. Hearing him doing this multiple times, Val looked back with a concerned expression.

"are you okay?" she asked, looking back at him as she walked.

"yeah, maybe." he spoke with a shaky voice, feeling lightheaded from all the nervous attempts.  
"just … asthma … acting up." he spoke, failing again at asking the question. Taking a deep breath as Val looked forward.

"god its been how long since we started to travel together and I cant ask a stupid question." he thought, getting frustrated with himself. Taking a deep breath he tried asking … again ... and again he only managed a nervous breath of air.  
"ugggh." he groaned with nervous stomach. Getting close to vomiting up his fish.

"are you sure you're okay?" Val asked back to him.

"i am going to vomit over speaking 5 words." he thought.  
"fine, just fine." he answered out loud.

"not even speaking, just trying to speak them." he thought again. Avoiding eye contact with Val as she looked over him. Turning forward when nothing seemed overly amiss.  
"just say a fucking word!" he yelled in thought to himself.

"look-" he started, interrupted by Val.

"its the waterfall." she happily announced.

"... yeah … was about to say." he sighed, internally screaming. Standing back as he watched her approach the waterfalls edge. Walking up beside her after settling his stomach.

"only need to find a way down now." she said as they both looked over the tall drop. Blake guessed it was at least a 30 foot drop to the large pond below. The steep look down making him grow even more light headed.

"would-" he started again. A loud gunshot firing loudly through the air having both flinch. In the blink of an eye they were surrounded by armed men. Val and Blake were quickly separated from each other by being yanked aside to be restrained.

"owner Zandra approaching." a guard announced as a wall of others moved aside. The women with silver eyes approaching the two captives with her disinterested expression.

"it took wicker half a month to capture you two. I guess I cant blame him, I made the mistake of trying to keep you around. Time to tie loose ends." she spoke down to the two.  
"such a waste, not every experiment has such access to a variant that's a hermaphrodite." she spoke, looking to Val.

"you Blake, must be feeling horrid regret after everything that happened with your wife. Her body will be put to good use in experimenting. Must be sad being in a place you cant control." she continued speaking down, looming over with intent on hurting him.

"coming from someone who cant control a lot of things around here." Val spat, standing confidently tall. Getting a hiked breath from Zandra as she stood tall again. A fire burning in her eyes at the insult. Blake shrunk a little at the look. Fearful on what was about to happen to Val as Zandra turned to face her. Blake made a move to try and grab her. Yanked back by a few men before he could take a step. Val attempting to the same, with no success, just when he did.

"hold her firmly!" Zandra commanded the guards. Getting incredibly close to face Val, each giving a pure glare of hatred to the other.

"you know what I did control? I controlled all the major decisions in Templegate. I told other what to say. I told them what commands to pass along. I was the voice in the sky. I told that idiot dooms-dayer Knoth what I wanted him to do. I couldn't let you take the town over or worse, have everyone leave the experiment. Even back then you were a problem I had to set straight." Zandra hissed down at Val.

"know what I controlled on that day?

I killed your kids. Even better was I had you kill your kids for me." she spoke happily with a grin. Val going pale, slumped back at the news in pained shock. Tears forming in her eyes as her face contorted back into uncontrolled wrath.

Val yanked a hand free slipping the knife, from her sleeve into, hand. Slamming it up to stab into Zandras throat behind the jaw hinge. Not being fast enough as Zandra took a step back far enough for the knife to only enter her bottom jaw. Val being yanked back with a roar of anger with no time to slit Zandras throat.

"i said hold her!" Zandra snapped at the guards now fully restraining Val. Removing her bloody hand from her bottom jaw to look at it. Giving the bloody hand a glare before flicking the blood off.  
" give them a Republican Marriage and get everybody out of here." she commanded to all the guards. Heading off with medical officers already patching her face.

"what?" Blake thought in confusion before being yanked over to Val. Both being heavily tied together with thick rope as they were forced to the ground. Sitting back to back with layers of rope holding there legs and arms.  
"what are they doing?" Blake whispered to Val.

"Republican Marriage, it was a torture Knoth used to have us do. A couple was tied together and thrown to drown in a river." Val explained in whisper, sounding a little dead inside.

"fuck, there gonna kick us off that drop?!" Blake exclaimed in whisper.

"at least they skipped a step. We should be stripped down first." she stated in whisper.  
"how long can you hold your breath?" Val asked seriously. Before Blake could answer the guards hoisted them up. Giving a few rocking motions toward the cliff that had both panicking to struggle free. Being thrown off with the 3rd motion. A flash of wind blowing by Blakes face had him shut his eyes until they hit hard into the water.

Blake opened his eyes seeing the darkness of the pond. Panicking as he remembered him and Val were restrained together, trying to fight free as they sunk deeper and deeper. The more Blake struggled with air being depleted the engine sparked alive in his skull. Flashes of pain, horrifying images of rotting arms trying to grab him from the darkness had him gasp out a large portion of his remaining air.

Unintentionally sucking in a large amount of water. His body doing its last struggle with useless hacking in a ditch effort to gain air in his lungs. His body going still with a cold numbness washing over. Darkness filling his vision with only the sound of his heart beat being hearable.

A bright light appearing with flashes of memory's coming to him. Nothing from his pained childhood, a few of his most memorable times with lynn, with the rest all being with Val as they traveled.

"happiest close memory's?" Blake questioned, his thoughts being incredibly slow to form. All the memory flashing by backwards till he reached the dark place he woke up from in the first place.

Empty slow thoughts, the suffocation growing unbearable. Then he opened his eyes.

Blake opened his eyes to take a desperate gasp of air. Blinking for a moment, unmoving, as he gathered the world around him. No more darkness, he was back under the bright burning normal looking sun. the world partially scorched, but only by what seemed like a now long burnt out forest fire. Back in the hell town known as Templegate.

"... wait ..." he thought, stiffly looking around. He was sitting back in the mud, starving, dehydrated and alone. He rushed to get on his feet. Almost stumbling over while painfully straightening up.

"i cant be here!" his mind screamed.  
"This wasint where I was! … was it?" he thought, barely remembering what he was panicking about.  
"no, no, no! What was it! Val … I have to find Val!" he thought franticly. Trying to remember where she was. Seeing that white building he found her in first. Falling on the small front steps as he forced his week body to rush.

"fuck!" he hissed in pain. Forcing himself back up with a struggle. He opened the door to the darkened area.

"val?" he called out with a rough voice. Receiving no reply back from the darkness.  
"val?!" he shouted again, heart sinking with no answer coming. He swallowed down some tears with heart racing at the rising mental breakdown.

No one to help him, he had no idea where to go. Murkoff could be around, he didint know, he wasint sure. He wasint sure of anything anymore.

"is Val alive? Is Murkoff here? Where is the closest town?" the questions raced through his mind. Chest constricting with a pulsing pain in his chest. He grabbed his chest with a drop to his knees in pain. Shaking as he thought a heart attack was happening.

A flash of white across his eyes had him suddenly hacking up water. He moved to lay on his side for more easy hacking of waters. Gagging on the mouthfuls of water forced out. Lungs with a burning irritation at all the water they sucked in. he laid still with mind gathering his new surroundings. Laying on a rocky shore of a large pond.

Val rubbing and patting the back of his chest to force any more water out. Moving to pat and shake his face to wake him up. Pausing when he hacked more mouthfuls of water.

"blake, can you hear me?" she asked. He laid back down on his back to face her. Squinting his eyes at the sun she didint manage to block. His mind still slowly gathering what recently happened.

" … come with me to town?" he finally asked, his foggy brain half remembering the question was super important. Val letting out a chuckle that slowly turned into a laugh.

"yeah, I will." she laughed, getting over her own panic of Blake almost drowning. Hugging him tightly for a moment. Letting go to help him sit up. More coughing or gagging coming out as he breathed in the cold air.

"first time I had to do CPR." she laughed a little.

"well, in my opinion you did great." he joked between a few coughs. Getting help from her to stand on his feet. Both shivering from the cold, although he wasint sure who was shaking worse. Him after having a near death experience, or Val after she thought he was going to die.

"how'd you get free?" he asked.

"the metal shard in your bag. I found it after this happened." she explained with a raise of her hand. The side of it having a deep, heavily bleeding gash up its side. Water mixed blood going down her arm in trails.

"i forgot about that. … fuck, that means." Blake spoke, looking at his water soaked bag.  
"yep..." he groaned, pulling out the food bag of soggy meat and knoths journal being a soggy mess as well.

"we are only a couple days from town. We wont need the meat so much." Val said.

"yeah, such a waste though." Blake said as he emptied the wet bag.

"the towns practically ahead now. Just follow the river for a bit." she spoke while digging through her own bag. Grabbing stitching supplies for her injured hand.

"should we move a bit? Is Murkoff around?" Blake asked, watching Val stitch her own hand carefully.

"i havint seen or heard any of them. They must be gone. We were under the water for a bit, wouldn't be surprised if they got board watching us drown." Val spoke. Blake stepping in to better stitch her hand with his position. Val allowing him to do so as she looked down the slow flowing river.

"ever made a raft before?" Val asked, looking back toward Blake.

"no, and my last experience on one wasint very fun." Blake half chuckled, finishing the last few stitches.

"i don't see any white rapids. If we raft down it we wont be so tired. It could cut a couple days off our travel, the rivers moving at a quick steady pace." she explained as Blake tied off the ending stitch line.

"if your ready to do CPR again, then sure." Blake joked.

"lets start assembling then, we could be set in a few hours." she spoke happily as they went gathering.

The sun over head passing by its afternoon position. Heading closer to the horizon by the time the raft was set. A base made of large logs tied with thick rope made of plant fiber. large branches along with the rope to tie the whole base together. A small shelter being made on top of it resembling a lean to. The shelter just big enough to fit them on a bed of piney branches. Aside from the raft they had a fish trap set, having quite a feast ready by the end of the day.

Both were resting around the fire after all the hard work. Cooking close to 10 fish on the fire as the heat dried their soaked clothes.

"iam looking forward to a real bed." Blake spoke out, shifting on the uncomfortable rocks.

"having a bed would be exciting after all this time." she chuckled, thinking of how long ago she had a bed.

"have you tried anything … prepared, like canned or packaged besides those chips?" Blake asked, wondering what modern, processed, foods she could handle.

"mother left me canned vegetables a few times. I didint like them much, tasted like the dirt at the bottom of a river or just plain water. Fresh always tasted a lot better." she answered.

"ever tried a cheeseburger? … or heard of one?" he asked, mumbling the last part to avoid being rude if he could.

"heh, I know of them. Except ours were more of steak pieces between two bred slices. Cheese was rare and you know who got those items." she chuckled.

"yeah. I don't know if you'll like most burgers around, but maybe if I grab some from a diner. They make them more fresh at those places. Ive been growing like a food list to eat when we get back. Could help you get used to more processed and ready foods." Blake smiled to her.

"if its hot and fresh then sure." she smiled back. Blake looked over the fish between them, seeing them being nice and crispy. Taking four off the fire for them to eat now, the rest carefully wrapped for travel. Splitting the 4 fish between them. Blake pausing with the fish heads again.

"ugh, … want my fish heads?" he asked, letting out a sickly groan at first.

"you should eat them." Val suggested as she crunched her own down.

"i know, but popping eye balls or skulls just really arnt appetizing to me." he said while separating the heads. Handing them to Val as she let out a hum with mouth too full to speak. Swallowing down the mouthful of meat she started on the other heads handed to her. With Blake happily eating the less disturbing meat on his fish.

Finishing the two fish they packed up what the needed onto the raft. One putting out the fire while the other untied the raft rope from a tree. Blake sitting on the raft as Val gently pushed them down stream. The river doing most the work with Val just keeping the raft straight.

"we should get pretty far with the few hours of daylight left. We'll stop and tie down on shore when it starts to get dark." she said, sitting down next to Blake. Able to steer still with the long branch she had.

"feels good not having to walk." Blake nodded as he looked up to see the suns positioning.

"till we have to walk again." Val joked.

"how many days has it been since Templegate? Do you know?" he asked.

"i lost count since I got shot the first time." Val said, looking up at the sun as well.

"maybe I can figure it out when we get back." Blake spoke, looking to the river.

"heh, good luck with that." she said, steering a little with her branch.

They parked the raft as night came. Sleeping side by side on the beds under the lean too. Eating some fish in the morning for a quick breakfast before floating off again. After another half day going by they reached the curve of the river.

"this is our last river stop." Val announced, steering toward the shore. Blake standing up with a stretch.

"back to walking." he grumbled a little. Hopping to shore from the raft, followed soon by Val. The two not bothering to tie it off as it was no longer needed. Heading off into the woods from the river.

"hey, look at this." Blake pointed to a dirt trail.

"and look at that." Val pointed to a carving on a tree. A circle within another circle containing an infinity symbol.

"what the?." Blake mumbled.

"follow the markers." Val stated, rushing a little more quickly down the trail. Rain coming down into a light drizzle. Finding the markers becoming more and more common. Seeing the back of a sign they stopped. Blake stepping around to examine it.

"its a nature trail." he said, looking passed it to see a few far off buildings.  
"there's the town!" he exclaimed with excitement. Running off down the trail toward a nearby road. Slowing down when his feet his the pavement. Seeing a straight clear way to salvation. He excitedly jumped and ran around in the rain. Hugging Val close when she got near. Picking her up by her waist in a swift moment to kiss her.

Realizing what he did he stopped what he was doing. Clearing his throat nervously while setting her back down.

"sorry." he apologized with a shaking voice.

"i didint mind." she lightly smiled, giving him a quick kiss back. Having Blake develop a blush with a few more clearings of his throat.

"not far." he spoke about the town. The two walking down along side the wet road. Not caring that they lost sight of the tree markers at the nature trail. The rain poured a little harder as they reached the edge of town. Blake noticed something large and slowly spinning from the corner of his view.

"... pool hall?" Blake mumbled, seeing a giant black eight ball spinning over a building.  
"the symbols were eight-balls?" he thought over the markings.  
"but then who's the-" he thought, cut off by Val saying something.

"red saint." she spoke, a little aggression in her voice. Blake looked over to where she was facing. Seeing a young teen dressed in bright red everything besides his blue jeans. Even they had a red bandanna hanging out of a pocket.

"that's the biggest sign of a gang member if I ever saw one." Blake stared at the kid in red. Val running off toward the kid with metal shard ready in hand.  
"val wait, don't!" he exclaimed, bolting after her. The kid was startled back when Val slammed him into the tree he was leaning against.

"you have supplies!" Val snapped down at the kid. A teen who was just barely 16 by the looks of it. Making him much smaller then Val.

"val we cant do this out here!" Blake stressed as he ran up to her. Yanking her off the young kid to keep her from gutting him or whatever she planned.

"geezus, fucks your problem?!" the kid snapped.

"sorry, we've been a bit under stress lately." Blake apologized.

"hes the one who gets supplies for Knoth." Val glared at the kid.

"oh, you one of them mountin people?" the kid asked.

"you know about- you give the supplies?!" Blake asked, his attention redirected from Val.

"not me personally. Had an older member do it til he got tired of waitin. You guys not been around for a while. Now they have me waitin out here for you fucks." the kid huffed.

"so you have supplies on you?" Blake asked, knowing no matter what it was, they would need it.

"naw, not on me. since you guys want us so obvious with our colors. I like the show, but sure attracts the red and blue. They've been hasslin me all day out here." the kid spoke, fixing his red sweater back into place after Val roughed it up.

"so where are they?" Val asked.

"follow me, but don't be all twitchy or put your hands in yo pockets. I aint lookin to get shot by no trigger happy cop." the kid spoke seriously as they crossed the street. Following him down a few alley to a run down building closed by fences. The kid pulling up a loose part to slip through, followed closely by Val and Blake. They all slipped through a small space past a loosely locked door.

Inside was a warehouse of old rotting cardboard boxes riddled around rotting shelf's. The kid walking up to a old dusty large glass box with fire extinguisher. Carefully popping it open to pull out a backpack.

"should be all their. You guys ask for some weird stuff. You know most of that aint illegal, right?" the kid spoke while tossing the bag to Blake. Blake opening it in a hurry to do a quick inventory of what they just got.

bandages, alcohol, stitching kit, lots of bottles filled with antibiotics, packages upon packages of battery's, alcohol both medical and as a drink. Canned foods of various fruits and vegetables. a stack of plain printer paper wrapped in plastic wrap along with 2 pens. Blake shifted through it all, tossing out the more useless items like the paper and battery's.

"hey, fore you start tossin stuff how bout you pay me the money!" the kid snapped. Val lashing out at him with a pin to the wall and the metal shard poking at his gut.  
"h-hey man! Just lookin out! My brothers don't get paid they commin after you. They aint as nice as me man!" the kid stuttered a little with his hand up.

"val leave him alone! We just gotta get out of here!" Blake spoke urgently while zipping up the backpack.

"hey!" the kid exclaimed as Val rifled through his pockets. Tossing various electronics or trash wrappers off to the side.

"hes still got stuff on him!" Val growled.

"all of that is junk! Now – whoa, that's useful!" Blake exclaimed, seeing Val pull out a huge wad of cash.  
"grab that and lets get out of here!" Blake said, throwing the bag onto his back. Val shoving the kid down before they ditched him in the building.

"hey I need that!" the kid angrily shouted, being unable to do much else.

"okay, now we need to get a ride and get out of here." Blake said as they stopped after running a few blocks.  
"don't mention the kid to anybody! We can get into serious trouble for what we did!" Blake told Val seriously as she handed the wad of money. Blake quickly counted through the many twenty's and ones.

"we can get a taxi over to the next city and get a hotel there." Blake informed.

"taxi?" Val asked. Blake remembering she never really experienced cars before.

"its a car with someone who drives you where you want to go. As long as you can afford to pay them for it. And a hotel Is a large place you can pay to spend a night to sleep in." he explained, looking around for the emptiest shop he could find. Going into a small laundry mat with a wall phone available.

"so why no hotel here? Are there none?" Val asked, standing by Blake as he looked through the yellow pages for a taxi number.

"if that kid is part of a gang, they'll definitely come looking for their money. Better to skip this town." Blake explained, calling a number.

"so they have gangs similar to Murkoff?" she asked.

"sorta, only less Armour, more guns, and major color coding." Blake quickly explained before talking to the cab company. Giving directions where to meet in the next few minutes.  
"okay, taxi will be here. Its only 20 bucks to the next town. Now to book a hotel." he spoke quickly. Looking through the yellow pages again. Making another quick call, finishing up just as the taxi arrived outside.

"remember, don't mention anything of the kid, or anything out in the woods. People will think were weird and get us into trouble." Blake reminded Val as they went to the taxi.

Val hesitantly got in behind Blake, looking around curiously at the space. Startled when the car started to move, having even Blake jump at her reaction.

"need to put the seat belt in place. Always." Blake mentioned, carefully snapping Vals seat belt over. Watching concerned at Val looking more stressed as the car sped up to speed. Her breathing picking up with a tight hand grip on one seat and the other on the door handle.

"she okay?" the driver asked, seeing Val turning sickly pale.

"uh, yeah. She just gets easily car sick." Blake excused, worried on if Val would make the small drive.  
"hey, you have to relax." Blake whispered, trying to calm her with taking her hand. Holding it as she returned the hold with a tense grip. Blake slowly rolled down his window to let air in the cab. Feeling Vals hand loosen a little at the fresh air. Her breathing slowing, but body remaining mostly tense.

"little better?" Blake asked. Val nodding with closed eyes as she took some deep breaths.

Stopping at the hotel, Val practically climbed out of the window when Blake said they were getting out. Opening the door to prevent Val from hurting herself. Coming around to make sure she was okay first before paying the driver. A little open fresh air had Val calming down in seconds.

At the hotel desk Blake paid twice the normal amount to keep his name off the books. Zandra seemed to know his name well and Blake had no idea how well they could be tracking his name. Blake grabbed the keys from the counter top. Rushing out to their room with Val being yanked along by her hand. Blake barely getting the door open before rushing in. letting out a sigh of relief after closing the door behind him.

"okay, doing good so far." Blake spoke, setting the backpack down on the small round table in the room. Sitting down for a minute while Val fell back to on the bed with a happy expression.  
"iam gonna go get some food. I wont be gone long. Stay here and don't answer the door for anybody." he said. Taking a few bills while leaving the rest of the supplies.

"yes mother." Val joked with an eye roll.

"no sassing." he joked back.  
"ill be gone for maybe 5 or 10 minutes." he informed as he left. Heading back to the main desk for directions to a diner. Thankfully one being just down the street with a 50s themed. Very small with little attention to attract. A small menu he was able to quickly look over. Getting a main order of burgers and fries with mixed sides. He wanted to get more, but needed to get back to Val as soon as possible. Grabbing some drinks from a vending machine while hiding away in a back booth till the take out was ready. He rushed back with the brown bag of food. Preventing the bag from shaking as much as he can with bottles of soda inside.

"iam back." he announced while opening the door. Seeing Val laying across the bed on rested arms to watch tv from the beds end.  
"see you got the tv working." Blake chuckled, setting down the food bag.

"its like a radio, only more dials and buttons." she said, waving the remote in her hand. Leaving it on the bed as she went over to the small table.

"i got cheese burgers, fries, and mixed sample sides. For drinks I got bottled water or soda, if you want to try it." Blake explained as he set the food out. Two trays with there own burger and side of fries. A small container with mixed things.  
"the small sides are onion rings, mozzarella sticks, and chicken strips." Blake said, separating the different ones from the mixed pile. Setting aside the sodas and water bottles.

"never seen so much on one thing." Val said while examining all the items in the burger.

"some places even let you add more for extra money." Blake smiled while removing a tomato from his burger.

"your not going to eat the tomato?"she asked, seeing him set it aside.

"no, always hated them in my burger." he said.

"ugh, waster." she teased, claiming the tomato slice for her own burger. Taking a bite out of the food with little hesitation.  
"what those?" she mumbled, mouth full. Pointing to the french fries.

"there prepared like chips, but They have a lot less salt and shouldn't be as dry." he explained, breaking one of his in half to show her the fluffy insides. Eating it along with a bite of burger. After swallowing her bite of burger she tried a fry. Seeming to enjoy them much better then the chips.

"want to try a soda?" he asked, popping the cap on a bottle. The drink letting out a long hiss of carbonation.  
"... what?" he asked seeing Vals concerned face.

" … your drink hissed at you. ..." she stated. Getting a restrained chuckle from Blake.

"that's just bubbles escaping. When you open it you have to do it slow or the bubbles cause the drink to make a huge mess sometimes." he smiled, popping the top fully off. Sliding it over to Val to watch her with amusement at trying new things. Her expression as first was of disgust, but after trying a few more sips she seemed to at least tolerate it.

"its a bit like wine. When you first try it, its not very good, but you get used to the taste pretty quickly." she spoke, drinking it a little more regularly while eating.

"yeah, that's pretty much the best description of soda." he said, taking another bite of burger. Swallowing at the room phone ringing.  
"room service must be calling." he said, setting his burger down to go answer.

"yes?" he spoke into the phone.

"Blake Langermann?" a mans voice from the other side asked. Blake went pale with the slamming down of the phone.

The hotel didint know his name.


	20. Salvation

"whats wrong?" Val asked, noticing his sudden stress.

"they know we're here." Blake spoke with inner dread rising. Rushing over to peek between the window curtains. Seeing many in swat gear swarming around the hotel.

"fuck, fuck, fuck!" Blake breathed, panicking on what to do. Val remained seated. She was just as aware of the situation from Blakes expressions.

"maybe we could go through the bathroom window?!" he whispered.

"there is none." Val stated, remaining calm. The two standing silently at the sound of a knock at the door.

"... go hide." he mouthed to Val.

"i cant leave you to them." she whispered.

"please." he mouthed again, desperately trying to shoo her away to hide. She looked at him sadly before going off with all the food and supplies to hide in a closet. He waited till she was fully hidden to slowly open the door.

Seeing a man standing there in a full black suit with dark rimmed glasses. The man wasint very bulky with a thin tall figure. Being the same age, if not younger, then Blake. Behind him were two long walls of huge swat men leading up to the back of an Armored vehicle.

"Blake Langermann?" the man asked again, the same voice from the phone.

"...yes." Blake mumbled sadly.

"i am FBI agent James Cale. We're here to transport you." the man said, holding a ID up for Blake to study. Despite wanting to contact the FBI he never did. Them racing to his doorstep with armed men being a screaming red flag to him. What if this was a Murkoff trick? What would be the point though, since shooting him now would mean less steps.

"uhh … okay." he said, carefully stepping out. Slowly closing the door behind him.

"we know there are two of you." the man stated before Blake could fully close the door. Blake swallowed nervously, really not wanting to get Val involved. Especially if this was a trap, but they could just beat the door down to grab her.

"shes … not good around strangers. … especially armed ones." Blake stated slowly, standing in front of the small amount of open door.

"understood. we'll try to make you some room, but we cant spread the wall too much or it would hinder both your safety." the man dipped his head down. Blake slipping back inside to fetch Val. Running over to carefully open her closet in case she had a weapon ready.

"Val, i think its the FBI." he told her.

"you sure?" she asked.

"they didint barge in and shoot us down." Blake shrugged. Taking Vals hand tightly to lead her out. The two walking closely together out the door. Blake no longer seeing the FBI agent James. The space between the line of guards was opened by a couple feet on each side. All of their backs facing toward the two.

Cautiously walking down the aisle of guards to the truck. Seeing James sitting at the very back on one side. Slowly the two stepped up into it to sit down at the far back opposite to James. Once seated, two guards hopped in to sit at the very front by the doors. Two other guards shutting the double doors from the outside.

"... where are we going now?" Blake asked hesitantly.

"a safe house, where you can rest safely. We also need to debrief you on how much you know." James answered.

"how'd you know about us?" Blake questioned.

"we've recently started investigating some activity from Murkoff around here. We were slow to act as we wanted to surprise the remaining Murkoff owner. However she got passed us along with much of the facility information. We swarmed the labs and Templegate, managing to arrest many of the remaining workers packing.

Some of them mentioned you two as they were questioned. A while later some of our watchers saw you two pop out of the woods. Sounded like Murkoff wanted you two really dead." James answered, showing a picture of Zandra.

"we had a run in with her." Blake spoke down at the image in his hands. Val flinching as the van started up. Having everyone else tense at her reaction.

"any idea where she went? We've been on her heels forever, but never managing to catch up." James asked curiously.

"no, sorry." Blake answered sadly, handing back the photo.  
"i don't think it'll help, but I got this journal from the Templegate leader when Murkoffs experiment was going. Its been ruined by water though." Blake said, handing the agent knoths journal. Trying to calm Val slightly after the journal was taken. Blake growing nervous as guards looked in her direction and looking ready to react.

"we mite have something that can pick up the pen indents despite the smearing. Not all of it mite be savable, but maybe it'll piece together a bit of Murkoffs ideals here." James spoke, flipping a little through the book before slipping it in a tightly sealed bag. Marking the bag with numbers using a black sharpie.

"... is she okay?" James asked at the sight of Val.

"shes ... from Templegate, ... like actually lived there for her whole life. Shes very unused to motor vehicles aside from farm tractors. This is actually her second car ride in history." Blake admitted. He wasint sure if it was best for them to know that she was an experiment. However he knew they couldn't introduce her into society without higher help in the system. Explaining why she was acting so twitchy would make her less likely to be surrounded by armed guards.

"oh, does she have any experience out of Templegate?" James asked, both interested and concerned.

"no, a small taxi ride and a cheese burger was pretty much it. I am absolutely sure she doesn't have basic records like a birth certificate. That's why i am even telling you this." Blake spoke.

"hmm, ill let staff know. Processing her into modern society is going to take a major rehabilitation schedule. Think she'll do well for a physical? We will have to take blood, finger prints, and other identifying marks for a proper certification." James asked.

"as long as i am there, maybe. She really hasint had a good record with others." Blake said, pressing on the fact of him being there for the testing.

"can she talk, or read and write at all?" James asked.

"yes, she can do all of that pretty well. Just not now while we're in the car." Blake answered, trying to calm Val down a bit more. Her breathing getting greatly uneven.

"at least that gives us a pretty head start on communication ability. We've had to do many rehabilitation of all kinds. The ones that lack a voice or basic reading skills are the hardest. Murkoff has caused the most of worse cases coming in." James said sadly about the situation.

"did you guys help with Eddie Gluskin's rehabilitation?" Blake asked curiously.

"oh yes, and Waylons. One needed drastic rehabilitation for society and both for medical. I assume you were all over reading about the cases of those two." James smiled slightly.

"iam a reporter, that was the biggest news anyone's every gotten on TV before. Especially all the court cases after." Blake smiled back.

"the one good thing about all this is the governments got a good rehabilitation system made by now. I am going to give you two, very important, cards that you must keep at all times. These are temporary and should be replaced later after your settled with more secure cards. These will be like IDs that make sure you two wont be separated." James said, tapping the metal wall next to them. A small bin unlocking to open up with a key board and a mini printer beside it. James grabbing two white pieces of thick cardboard, slipping them into the printer. Typing some thing down onto the small printer screen.

"whats her name?" James asked.

"val, no last name that i am aware of." Blake answered.

"can she borrow your last name? Its easier for record keeping." James asked.

"uh, yeah." Blake answered, feeling strange that a person he wasint married to having his last name.

James typing in a bit more. Pressing a final button before the two cardboard pieces printed out fully laminated with a bar code, a line of blue coloring with basic information about the twos looks.

"do not lose these. It'll be a lot of paper work to replace. The more official cards will contain much more data like her rehabilitation schedule, Medical info, etc. I assume your close, but I don't know if you'll like to be in charge of her. We can have someone else hold her personal records if you don't-." James offered, handing the cards over.

"no, I want to be involved with everything." Blake interrupted while taking the cards. Wanting to make sure his stance was clear.  
" will you be with us when we stop?" Blake asked, growing nervous at all the new info.

"only to inform you on where to go and whats going to happen. I have a really important meeting about this to higher ups. Digging up Murkoff facility's is extremely important to us. If we keep this up Murkoff mite not have any facility's in the USA soon." James smiled.

The two talked for quite a long time. Going over what Blake needed to do once they reached the facility. The armored vehicle driving through a heavily gated area into a guarded garage where they were dropped off. Val leaping out as soon as the guards moved. Breathing in large amounts of air as she calmed down. Blake standing by for her to catch her breath.

"follow me, ill get you set at the front desk." James smiled, walking slow as Val was still calming down from the ride.  
"they'll set you both up for a full medical examine. Any concerns or old injury's please tell the doctors about them. After medical they'll assign you proper cards, room and boarding. that only you two will share. That should be it for today. Tomorrow someone will drop by to help you further." James explained as he brought them to the window. Giving a few instructions to the worker there. Handing off the bagged journal to an archiver.

"thank you." Blake smiled to him. Starting the process they had to go through. The medical examine giving them properly updated medication for any disease exposure. Wounds were cleaned, bandages set, in the end Blake felt better then he had in a long while. Things were looking up for them both.

* * *

4 months later

somewhere far off in a different state. Were two, 2 story white houses in the middle of the golden grass country. Empty hills as far as the eye can see and one long dirt road the two houses shared. The two houses having a good space of 6 blocks away from each other. One being at the very end of the shared dirt road and the other being closer to the main tar road.

The sun shone through the windows to blare down on the sleeping form in bed.

"uugh." Waylon groaned as the sun burned his tightly shutting eyes. Stretching in bed before groggily getting up to dress in new clothes. Heading through a side door way into an office like area with a computer, cabinets filled with files and sticky notes on a white board with messy writing all over. After booting his computer he looked to one wall covered in strange objects.

A broken mask with old blood stains remaining of what was left of john Barker. Multiple letters from Beth on how well her family was doing since their separation from the FBI quarters. His sons report cards, and just bills.

after him and Eddie escaped mount massive, the apple town, managed to reach FBI, avoided Eddie going to jail after all those court hearings, and entered their protection things had been going well. Waylon got back into security coding, using a different name of course. Making good money enough to afford what was needed to live comfortably. He headed down the stairs, passing Eddie cooking in the kitchen.

"morning darling." Eddie happily spoke, getting a half awake mumble back from Waylon. Which was the normal response. He was never a morning person and Eddie was always the early riser of the family. Waylon walked down the little stone path to their mail box. Collecting the days mail before heading back inside.

"what did we get? Eddie asked as he set a plate of breakfast down.

"another letter from Beth. Bills and the usual 20 letters from news reporters." Waylon said, looking through the thick stack. Spam or letters from the news stations were immediately trashed.  
"you think after not answering them for 3 years they'd stop." Waylon spoke as he opened bills first.

"they certainly didint stop at first when we had that FBI sniper in our yard." Eddie chuckled as he sat down with his own breakfast.

"that whole situation was just awful, cant believe it got so bad." Waylon muttered as he ate some bacon.

"they really wanted pictures of our wedding. I cant blame them for trying." Eddie spoke before eating a bite of pancake.

"cant get good pictures while pretending to be an empty cardboard box. Glad that agent kicked him in the face when he found him. You got Noah up for the bus right?" Waylon asked, realizing it was way past the school pick up time.

"yes, don't worry love." Eddie nodded.

"crap, I still need to tell artisan about the parent conference at school in a few days. Keep forgetting about that." Waylon growled at himself.

"it is almost afternoon, hes probably awake by now if you want to go talk." Eddie spoke, taking another bite of food.

"after breakfast, before I start on work." Waylon answered, eating some food. Feeling grateful that artisan adopted his son. It definitely prevented his son from getting harassed for interviews since artisan wasint connected to them. Most just saw him as the old neighbor caring for his grandson, while just so happening to live next to crazy famous people.

Also prevented teachers from jumping down Waylon and Eddies throats on how "unstable" the two were to be caring for a kid. Eddie especially would be a target of aggression at parent teacher meetings. Most didint want to get involved with him, while others tossed accusations for 15 minutes of fame. Any slight movement toward them would have caused all sorts of hysteria about how he tried to "murder" them.

Adding onto that pile was all the massive scaring they bared. Looked as if they were tossed through world war 3. Waylon had metal rods for half a rib cage. A pale patch on his face from where it was skinned and replaced at a hospital. Smaller or larger scars from grenade shrapnel a Murkoff employee threw at him. Knife wounds from self mutilation during his Murkoff engine panic attacks.

Eddie being just as bad. Old wobbly scars on half his face from testing, other side having that large L scar. A massive scar going along to over his spine from scraping a sharp river rock. Two circular scars from his impalement. A thick long line in the middle of his stomach from when Barker stabbed a ton sword through his gut that took a bulldozer to remove.

And both having multiple bullet wounds here and there. The massive governmental FBI therapy helped wound recovery. Especially with Eddies rebuilt stomach system needing a strict diet.

Very rarely did the two go out, especially not Eddie. Many were aware of his famous background and Waylon didint want to risk Eddie being accused of something vile for some asshole to get famous on the news. Waylon went to only get basic needs such as grocery's. For most other things artisan was happy to go for them. Which Waylon greatly appeared as one less stressful thing.

Waylon was still incredibly paranoid of people. Anxiety making him confuse faces for Murkoff workers he used to know. Therapy helped him cope better, but still not entirely. It greatly helped Eddie on the other hand. He grew less aggressive about many subjects and got help for his old family PTSD.

"FBI is here." Eddie spoke seriously. Seeing the recognizable armored van pull up. Making both tense at the sudden visit after a few years had passed without them. Deep inside they were also paranoid of it being Murkoff, although they havint dealt with those monsters since their escape.

It parked in front of their house. A knock soon being heard at the front door.

"ill get it." Waylon sighed as he stood from the table. Walking over to a speaker intercom by the multiple lock covered door.  
"what?" Waylon asked a little aggravated.

"agent James Cale. We need to sit down for a serious talk Mr. park." James spoke, holding up his badge to a security camera outside the door. Waylon didint answer at first while studying the badge thoroughly. Grumbling as he slowly unlocked the door.

"come in." he said neutrally. He always hated the FBI visits when they happened. They always carried bad news with them it seemed.

"thank you." James spoke as he followed behind to the living room. Waylon sitting tensely on the couch opposite to the one James sat on. Already feeling emotionally tired from thinking what the news was.

"FBI has a proposal for you. We want you to join a team to infiltrate a Murkoff facility." James spoke as clearly as he could. Getting a wide eyed expression of surprise from Waylon.

"WHAT?!" Waylon shouted. Getting the attention from Eddie in the nearby room. Which the agent didint want to start out with. Sure, Eddie was less aggressive toward strangers, but as soon as Waylon didint like them, he certainly didint either.

"easy, let me finish. Please, just let me get it out." James begged, already becoming nervous under Eddies death gaze from the other room. Swallowing at Waylons own death gaze on him as well.

"a little while ago we raided another Murkoff facility in an attempt to capture the remaining owner. You know how long we've been after her. We feel with all your knowledge from working under and facing Murkoff, you can lead a team to capture her. Together, of course." he blurted the very last bit to keep Eddie pacified on possible thoughts of separation.

"look, we barely got away the first two times. When I hacked Murkoff, they caught me. What makes you think we can lead a team?" Waylon stated, already feeling half done on this conversation.

"you were caught, yes, but you actually hacked them. And still manage to hack them for us when we ask you to. Nobody on this case knows as much as you two do about Murkoff. About their facility's, records, the experiments they do. You had a massive inside experience that we cant get anywhere else. All others are too damaged to help or are found in a body ditch.

We have been setting up a team for a while now. Despite your answer the task is going to work. I want to mention that there are two specific people on the team. With very similar cases like yours. Both were trapped in a massive Murkoff experiment. One was a healthy outsider, the other was an extremely aggressive patient. After a facility fallout they escaped and fought or hid from Murkoff till they made it to a city where we picked them up after a raid.

They've shown massive leaps in therapy and helped us with tracking down the Murkoff queen. They were on board with this huge operation. With how they are, we helped them be more prepared for field duty, but we need someone for the inside, with technical capabilities like yours. A hacker basically, and don't worry about supplies.

We wont be sending you off with just a bagged lunch and a good luck card. We will thoroughly be training you with the team and getting you fully armored gear specially fitted for you and what ever else you ask for." James explained.

"do you think you'll come on board for this operation?" James asked.

"no." Waylon answered with no hesitation.

"wha, why not?!" James asked.

"do I have to do it?" Waylon asked.

"no, but are-" James started.

"then hell no." Waylon repeated more firmly, getting up from his seat. Completely done with the conversation.

"wont you think about it?! Please Waylon, this is extremely important! You cant just-." James spoke in urgency as he followed Waylon. Knocking into the wall of muscle known as Eddie who stepped between them.

"oh, uh, hi. Eddie, Gluskin, AH! PARK, SIR-!" James blurted nervously. Remembering too late that Eddie had a different, one he less hated, last name. After getting officially married, Eddie took Waylons last name. He never wanted his darling to have the stained name of his monstrous father.

This mistake only had Eddie grow more aggressive toward the shorter agent. Walking into him to force him back with a intense glare from his cold eyes.

"uh, Waylon. Waylon? Waylon?!" the agent shouted urgently as Eddie kept aggressively forcing him back. Finally grabbing him to literally throw him out the door into the dirt. Slamming the door shut with a huff.

"waylon, please think about this. We really need your help on this. Its a mater of national security at this point." James pleaded from outside as he got up. Waylon opening the door to face him from the entrance.

"why an issue of national security?" the words having peaked Waylons interest.

"its gotten far too big for the united states. You know how Murkoff had a facility in the arctic, how they have places in different country's. Well, some of those country's don't want to get rid of Murkoff. They make weapons for them. More advanced then what our military finding. … we believe Murkoff is making newer and bigger facility in those protective country's. We have to move now and cut off the head of this or its going to be impossible." James spoke seriously.

"... why cant you just destroy the facility like all the others?" Waylon asked.

"country's wont let us. They'll take it as an invasion and get a WW3 on our hands." James answered.

"so technically, the small team I would be in, would be invading a country?" Waylon asked.

"in a way … there's a small up coming window. The remaining Murkoff owner is going to a facility in south America. I cant say the details on where out here. Our leak says this is the last facility on this side of the earth. If we don't catch her then. Then things are going to get worse and we wont have another free pass like this again.

You have a week to decide. After that you wont be able to get on board. … this is getting bigger then a lot of us Waylon, and id think about your sons future if I was you." James spoke, wiping a bit of dirt off before heading back to the armored vehicle.

Waylon watched him leave down the road before slowly closing to lock the door. Letting out a nervous breath of air he hadn't realized he was holding.

"you okay?" Eddie asked, concerned.

"yeah, just stressed." Waylon answered.

"Are you really thinking of going to face Murkoff again?" Eddie asked.

"... maybe. We've already taken most of them out. Might as well finish what we started so long ago." Waylon breathed.

* * *

FBI DOCUMENT (for records only)

OPERATION ARCH ANGELS IS IN EFFECT.

authour notes:

thats the end. there will be a sequel ... eventually. XD

there is a fancy FBI doc on my DA (reddog-f6) that goes into slightly nicer detail.


End file.
